Tony John, Port Harcourt
Students of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Choba, have said they disrupted the planned meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIPORT chapter yesterday, because the latter’s strike threat was unpatriotic.
The students had earlier in the day disrupted ASUU’s meeting, forcing the lecturers to relocate to an undisclosed location.
Also, the Students Union Government (SUG) has pledged its support to the newly formed Congress of University Academics (CONUA), and accused ASUU of selfishness.
SUG President, Sowari Daniel, while addressing journalists at the school campus, said the union has been following the recent developments and has thrown its weight behind the newly formed CONUA.
He said: “As stakeholders in the educational sector, we view ASUU’s latest directive to lecturers to withhold the second semester results of the 2018/2019 session, as a deliberate and calculated attempt to hold the system to ransom and to service their selfish ego for political point.
“ASUU’s threat of strike is an unpatriotic move in the face of current realities in the university, where all stakeholders are making sacrifices to revive the system and move it to greater heights under the leadership of the current Vice Chancellor, Ndowa Lale. There is no justification for strike in UNIPORT.”
Daniel said following the recent break away of the Congress of University Academics from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the students union has now backed CONUA and would no longer recognise ASUU in the institution.
“In the midst of the division in the rank and file of the leadership of ASUU and the reality of the break away faction which gave birth to CONUA, the students union hereby declares that CONUA will enjoy the support and loyalty of the students union.
“As ASUU has declared war through its unpatriotic directive to withhold students’ results, to frustrate the students after our sacrifices to ensure the smooth running of academic calendar and the development of the university.
“The students have no other option than to draw the battle line with ASUU and have ceased to recognise any group of people in our university in the name of ASUU,” Daniel said.
Meanwhile, ASUU had lamented alleged impunity and abuse of power by Lale, against members of the union.
The body also called for immediate reinstatement of a sacked lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts and Design, Frank Ugiomoh, who was accused of meddlesomeness.
Chairman of the union, Austen Sado, in a statement described the termination of the appointment of Ugiomoh as unjust and illegal.
He, however, called on relevant bodies and well-meaning individuals to call the chancellor to order
In his response, the UNIPORT management has debunked ASUU allegation and described it as baseless and unfounded.
Spokesperson of the institution, William Wodi, told newsmen that the alleged sack of the professor was false.
He said the sack of the lecturer was by the institution’s Senate, which made recommendation to that effect.