By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
The organized labour unions in Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri have declared their unflinching support for the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Stella Ngozi Lemchi just as they warned those dishing out rumours of tension in the institution to desist forthwith.
Chairman of AIFUE Association of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr Jovita Agu dismissed the allegation saying the university is peacefully undergoing through inevitable transition challenges.
Agu who spoke during a press conference disclosed that AIFUE management is committed to adherence to the National Universities Commission, NUC, laws, rules and code of conduct guiding the process of any transition from an already existing institution to a university.
According to her, the set of rules regulate the assessment, evaluation and placement processes of both academic and Non teaching staff stressing that an academic in a college of education system hardly retains the same rank on transition to the university system.
Agu pointed out that it was the strict adherence to and application of the NUC rules for staff re-designation and placement in the institution that had provoked outcry, outburst and raising of eyebrows, by some mischief makers, thus giving birth to unfounded allegations.
Her words, “if you have to access the Omelette you must definitely break the egg. I advised staff of our institution to zero their minds on the fact that for the sake of the much vaunted, well deserved, hard earned and highly cherished status of the university, no sacrifice should be deemed too much for its attainment.”
She noted that the varsity had traditionally enjoyed peaceful atmosphere, industrial harmony and unity of purpose stressing that unfounded allegations being leveled against some principal officers of the university were products of grave evil machination and fallacies which should be ignored by all.
On the ongoing admission of the first set of students into the institution, the labour union activist advised all qualified candidates who scored up to 140 and above in the last JAMB examination to do a change of institution if they did not earlier choose the varsity for admission.
Agu extolled the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Lemchi for her capacity and capability in ensuring a seamless transition process from a college to a university as well as championing the collective welfare of every staff of the university.