From Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki
Academic and non-academic staff of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki and Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, have vowed to down tools if Governor David Umahi carried out his threat to sack all the adjunct staff of the state-owned higher institutions.
Daily Sun gathered that Governor Umahi had ordered the immediate sack of some non-academic staff of the state university and college of education and embargoed promotion of already employed staff and employment of new staff while receiving report of the committee on the review of the state owned higher institutions.
He said promotion of staff in both institutions be suspended until the visitation panel concludes its duties while ordering that no new structure should be erected in any of the two temporary campuses of the College of Agriculture (CAS) and College of Sciences (PRESCO) of the Ebonyi State University.
He also directed the state’s fiscal responsibility commission to investigate activities in both institutions.
“When we conclude all reviews and investigations, I am optimistic that we can reduce their tuition fees as obtained in other states of the South East geo political zone. We are unhappy that our students seek academic pursuits in other states due to high tuition fees, and we are committed to solving all the problems confronting these institutions,” he said.
The governor also ordered that the salaries of workers under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) be paid immediately.
Chairman of the committee, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, urged the unions to shelve their planned strike and other acts that might disrupt academic activities in the institutions.
When contacted, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, said they were going ahead with the planned strike, saying the union had not received any information from government, as at the time of filing this report, that would make it shelve its planned action.