•Says non-academic staff have no role in
matriculation
The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has vowed to
go ahead with the matriculation of the fresh students despite doing so without
their registration and matriculation number owing to the ongoing industrial
action by the non-academic staff of the school.
But the decision is being resisted by the striking
non-teaching staff in Nigerian universities under the umbrella of the Joint
Action Committee (JAC), who have told parents and first year students of the
university to stay away from the planned matriculation expected to hold today.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Chairman of JAC
and National President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities
(SSANU), Samson Ugwoke, who spoke to
journalists in Abuja.
Ugwoke warned that JAC, which comprises the SSANU, Non Academic Staff
Union of Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association Academic
Technologists (NAAT), would consider the
planned exercise as a scam "as the students to be matriculated neither
have registration number nor matriculation number because the non-teaching
staff to issue the numbers are on strike."
He said the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress
(NLC) and the JAC has concluded plans to picket the UNN today because of the alleged unfriendly environment
exhibited by the management of the institution.
On the looming crisis in the university, Ugwoke
alleged that the Vice Chancellor has threatened to unleash armed thugs with
police backing on the non-teaching staff if they try to protest within the
period of the matriculation.
He said it
was the duty of the non-teaching staff to carry out the registration of fresh
students, and wondered where the students got the matriculation numbers to
qualify them for the exercise.
Accusing the vice chancellor of the university of
using the police to harass and intimidate the union members, the JAC chairman
said: “What the vice chancellor is doing (matriculation) is fake. There is no
way you can hold matriculation without our members who are on strike. We are
the one with the registration register.
“The vice chancellor is playing politics with the
future of the children. There is nowhere where matriculate without numbers. He
(vice chancellor) wants to play good man before the Minister of Education
because we have called on the Visitation Panel to investigate his (alleged)
corrupt practices.
“We are calling on the students and their parents
to keep away from the so-called matriculation. Since the vice chancellor has threatened
to bring armed thugs backed by the police to attack us, if we are attacked, we
must respond.”
Responding, the school Public Relations Officer
(PRO), Dr. Okwum Omeaku, said there was no truth in the allegation that the vice
chancellor planned to unleash armed thugs against the union members, adding
that the vice chancellor was not even in the country.
Omeaku who spoke to journalists on the phone,
insisted that the non-teaching staff
have no role to play in the matriculation of the students, adding that
"all the necessary things have been put in place to ensure a successful
exercise."
He stressed that while the university management would
be meeting with the non-teaching staff, the matriculation would go on as
scheduled.
The PRO
said: "Non-teaching staff are not of any threat to the matriculation, and
the exercise will go as scheduled.
"I want
to assure all the students and their parents that despite the strike, the academic
exercise is still going on as the academic staff have been active to their responsibilities."
Against this backdrop, the JAC has written to the
Commissioner of Police in Enugu State of the plan to picket the UNN today.
The letter to the state Commissioner of Police was
copied to the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris; the
Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS), Lawan Daura; the DSS boss
in Enugu State, the Vice Chancellor of the University among others, and was signed
by the three national Presidents of the non-teaching staff, Samson Ugwoke
(SSANU), Sanu Suleiman (NAAT) and Chris Ani (NASU).
Part of the letter entitled: 'Notice of picketing
and Eastern zonal grand protest rally at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’, read:
“We bring you fraternal greetings from the National Secretariat of the JAC of
NAAT, NASU and SSANU.
“As you are aware, the Non-Teaching Staff Unions of
Nigerian Universities (NAAT, NASU and SSANU) are currently prosecuting an
industrial action which commenced on December 4, 2017.
“The action was as a result of the federal government
insensitivity and injustice meted out on our members in the universities. In
contribution of our mobilisation and sensitisation programmes, we have
scheduled a grand protest rally for the eastern zone at the University of
Nigeria Nsukka.
“It is expected that the JAC congresses of NAAT,
NASU and SSANU in the eastern zone and the entire executive officers (EXCO) of the
entire branches across the country will take part in these programmes. The
rally is scheduled for February 9 and 10, 2018.
“Meanwhile, information reaching us indicates that
the management of UNN has fixed 2017/18 matriculation for February 10, 2018, in
its effort to break our legitimate strike.
“The CP Sir, you are very much in the picture of
all the intimidations and harassments of our members by the Vice Chancellor of
UNN, Prof. Ozunba, to truncate the on-going strike by coaxing and forcing our
members to work. In view of this ugly development, JAC has resolved to carry
out picketing of UNN on February 9, 2018, in line with the relevant Labour laws.
“Sequel to the above, we write to formally notify you
and request for your necessary action. As law-abiding Labour activists, we
assure you that the programmes shall be peaceful.”
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