May 05, (THEWILL) — The Academic Staff Union of Research Institute (ASURI) has come hard on her counterpart, the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA), over alleged disruption of academic activities and a call for industrial action in the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
A press statement titled “Planned Shutdown of Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu”, signed by Iwundu Kenneth Chigozie and Obulafor Obuor, Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of ASURI FCAI Chapter, accused ASUCA of attempting to frustrate the rights of those who do not belong to the Union.
According to ASURI, since the appointment of the substantive Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Professor Agwu Ekwe Agwu, ASUCA has continued to mount protests and agitations against the said appointment, noting that ASUCA members cannot suppress ASURI.
The statement reads in part, “This stand orchestrated by the self-styled ASUCA leadership both in wit and will sends home an odoriferous pollution of the system where our stakes all stand immutable.
“Today, this craving for an internal leader, which seemed to have eluded the overriding component interests of the said union, has, in a stench disorder, disrupted academic activities to the extent that a new academic session that began this year has not had its matriculation, while sister institutions are about concluding their first semester examinations.
“The fate of the students we serve has been flagrantly suppressed while we seethe at the horn of a dilemma through the seemingly sustainable selfish industrial struggles of a union”, they said.
They further frowned at the attempt of ASUCA to suppress other unions in the FCAI, saying that ASURI’s existence in the institution cannot be taken for granted.
They said, If the Rule of Law must prevail, then no one person or group of persons, union or group of unions has the inalienable right to lord anything over the other.
“ASURI therefore relishes a free, fair, honest and secure work environment where our rights and privileges are protected and guaranteed under the ambit of the law. Prof Agwu E Agwu is our Provost and has come to stay and serve”, they maintained.
While making their position known, ASURI reiterated that they cannot bow to the cacophonies and tantrums of ASUCA and that ASUCA’s unrest cannot stop others from doing their jobs, adding further that if ASUCA must go on strike, let it be limited to their members alone.
Lending his voice, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Dr Chris Nweke, recalled that last week he gathered that ASUCA members want to organise a nationwide strike, involving all the colleges of agriculture and other sister institutions.
He, however, said that it was appropriate for staff of colleges of agriculture to press home their demands for improved welfare services, but faulted the call for the removal of the provost, Professor Agwu Ekwe Agwu.
He said, “Last week, we got a piece of information that the ASUCA members want to organise a nationwide strike, which will involve all the colleges of agriculture and all the sister institutions, and the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, here inclusive.
“We tried to know all of those things, and they said there are some conditions that the Federal Government is expected to fulfil.
“One of the pieces of information was the attempt to remove the Provost. But we let them know that it is not part of the issue. As the College Public Relations Officer (PRO), I tried to let them know that we agreed that there were some conditions that the Federal Government was supposed to meet, but that the removal of the Provost is out of its hands. That is not the main point.
“They said they were two Provosts; the whole world knew we have only one Provost, that is Professor Agwu Ekwe Agwu”, he said.
All efforts to reach the Chairman of ASUCA for a reaction were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
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