Things are no longer
at ease with the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi these days as he has been
struggling from one controversy to the other.
Amaechi who was accused recently of an attempt to un-seat
his kinsman, President Good Luck Jonathan in 2015 general election as a running
mate to Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, is now in another battle with the
ASUU over his alleged meddling with the affair of the Rivers State University
of Science and Technology, RSTUST.
The governor is
alleged to be swimming in a trouble
water, when Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) accused him of
dabbling into the affairs of the state
owned university.
The National President of ASUU, Nasir Isa, said at a media
briefing on Thursday in Abuja said that
the governor has shown a clear violation of the statutes establishing the
university by the “undeserved and illegal re-appointment of Prof. Barineme
Fakae as the vice chancellor (VC)”.
“A university is a product of law. Such a law must be
respected and protected at all times by those the people have entrusted to
govern the university. Anything short of that, as we are witnessing at RSUST,
is unacceptable.
“To say the least, the re-appointment of Fakae as acting
vice chancellor is morally repugnant and legally indefensive,” Mr. Isa said.
He said that Mr. Fakae’s appointment by the governor in 2008
was illegal as it was not the responsibility of the governor to do so but that
of the university’s governing council.
He said the appointment of the VC did not follow due process
and when the matter was challenged by the RSUST branch of ASUU, the governor,
who attended the congress of the union, pleaded that the matter be laid to
rest.
He promised that Mr. Fakae would not stay a day longer at
the expiration of his term.
He said members of the union then, felt that the governor be
given the benefit of the doubt as ASUU is not a body that “prides itself in
rubbing in the mud, the noses of leaders”.
Mr. Isa said the ASUU leadership has declared Thursday,
August 30, as a day of solidarity with its members in RSUST and has directed
all its members nationwide to stay away from work on that day.
The ASUU leader also accused Adolphus Karibi-Whyte,
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, of doing the governor’s
bidding in the matter.
“Another surprise was that Justice Karibi-Whyte started
inventing rationales and justification for the re-appointment of Prof. Fakae as
if he is oblivious of the Visitor’s gentleman’s agreement with the university
community.
“Rather than address the issues at stake, which are the in
appropriateness of the appointment of Prof. Fakae and Gov. Amaechi’s promise
not to re-appoint him, both the Chairman of the Council and the Visitor have
been playing the ostrich.
“This has empowered the acting VC to unleash a reign of
terror on academics and other workers at the university. His foot soldiers are
all out on a campaign of calumny against the leadership of ASUU,” Mr. Isa
stated.
He also accused the VC of mobilising law enforcement
agencies to “violently disrupt a peaceful assembly” of ASUU members who met on
August 15 on the campus to review the on-going strike in protest against his
appointment.
The president said such lawlessness should not be allowed to
thrive in a fledgling democracy.
He cited the case of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo,
where the VC, registrar, bursar and the student union government are all
operating in acting capacities.
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