•Refutes news of sack of workers

From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, (MOUAU) yesterday called on the institution’s Governing Council and the university administration not to succumb to alleged blackmail by individuals or groups determined to bring the institution to disrepute.

The union  was reacting to a recent statement by a new body in the institution, Academic Staff Association (ASA) which alleged that the institution had sacked its workers and that the university was not involved in the ongoing nationwide ASUU strike.

In a statement signed by Chinyere Echendu and Francis Nkea, chairperson and Secretary respectively, ASUU-MOUAU urged the public to discountenance ASA and its statement which they said lacked credibility

ASUU said it was  not only fully involved in the nationwide strike, ‘‘but it is strong and unshakable’’

Describing ASA’s statement as callous misinformation and misleading of the public by an illegal group, the branch ASUU  said it is solidly behind the national body on the nationwide strike.

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It added  that it has a mission to save MOUAU from cascading mediocrity and return the university to the path of excellence and its lost glory.

“All members of ASUU MOUAU have fully complied with the resolution and are currently on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike effective Wednesday 16th August, 2017.

“The individuals or groups of individuals parading themselves as the Academic Staff Association, MOUAU, are non members of ASUU MOUAU who are the primary beneficiaries of the unbridled impunity and atrocities, (including the scandalous professorial appointments) perpetrated by the estranged former Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Prof Hilary Edeoga, which ASUU MOUAU has relentlessly fought”

“There is no trade union in the university system known as Academic Staff Association. The Academic Staff Association, MOUAU is unregistered, unrecognized and illegal. ASUU MOUAU condemns in very strong terms the callous misinformation and misrepresentation of the governing council of MOUAU and the university administration in the electronic and other media by the illegal group, known as the, Academic Staff Association, in relation to the purported sack of workers in MOUAU.

“ASUU MOUAU views this attempt to bring the image of the university to disrepute as gross misconduct in line with the extant provisions of the conditions of service for senior staff of MOUAU’’ the statement stated.

“ASUU MOUAU commends the governing council of MOUAU and the university administration for the concerted efforts to follow due process and adhere strictly to the extant regulations of the university with a view to cleaning up the rot left behind by the Former VC Prof Edeoga under the watch of Prof Anya Oko Anya, former Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council.”