Expulsion Of Student Journalist :Confusion At Federal Polytechnic Oko For Cross Fire Between Management and Chairman Of NASU (Who Is Telling The Lies)

      

 

My life at risk -NASU Chairman, Ezenwankwo

The Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and As­sociated Institutions (NASU), Federal Polytechnic, Oko (OKOPOLY), Anambra State, Chief Francis Ikecbukwu Ezenwankwo, has lamented the intolerable working condition in the institution. In an inter­view with Education Review, he speaks on the ongoing strike by the union, the expulsion of a student journalist of the institu­tion, accusing the principal of­ficers of the polytechnic of using police and Anti-Cult group to suppress union activities and enthrone a regime of fear and uncertainty.

Members of your union have been having a running battle with the OKOPOLY management recently. What are the reasons for this frosty relationship?

I am Chief Francis Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo, the Chairman, Non-Ac­ademic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NASU) federal Polytechnic Oko Chapter. This interview is not aimed at defin­ing myself as Chief Ezenwankwo but as the chairman of the Union and upon the premise granted to us by the national body of the Non-Academic Staff Union as directed on the meeting of 30th January at Top Ranks Hotels, Abuja upon the authority that we should speak to the local press, speak to the international press; upon that I'm speaking now. Incidentally, as the chairman of the union 1 mentioned; the union is made up of eight executive members.

On 30th of January, after our meeting aimed to ascertain if we can now call off our strike or not, at that meeting 21 federal polytechnic in Nigeria spoke against calling off the strike. And I suggested in that meeting that ASUP is on strike; that if you watch television that you'll see Asomugha every time on the radio and television talking about ASUP but NASU's position on that has been silent. Upon the premise, the national secretariat directed that we should use the local avenue lo let people around us know about the strike. And whatever thing we are doing was directed towards telling the President and Wike the 6 point agenda and upon [hat we started on Wednesday last week. Surprisingly, the first prayer session on this was on Wednesday. It ought to have hap­pened a! the Federal Polytechnic Oko convocation arena. Little did we know that the Chief Security Officer, the Anti-cult of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, including Police­men invaded the scene. We left that area and hired a space at a nearby hotel and there we conducted the prayer session. And the key point of that prayer session was peace in Nigeria, good health for the President, peace in Federal Polytechnic Oko, another one is good health to Dr. Alex Ekwueme, the founder of the Polytechnic, another one is God's in­tervention on our suppressed NASU members, and unity in the campus. My brothers, when we were asked out of the school, the executives came together and decided lo relo­cate to the Lincon Hotels. At that place we conducted me prayer. After a small meeting, I told them about the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions' (JACTU) decision. I read the resolution of the JACTU to the congress. After the small meeting we called on these prayer points as 1 mentioned earlier. We now called it off on the Wednesday. It was a beautiful meeting. But one thing I want to tell you is that when we were asked to come down here for this rally; where we were directed to just carryout our placards.

What are your grievanc­es that led to the ongoing strike?

I told them to write it that what­ever they want us to do at the local stage here, that they should put it in writing, I received what [he national executive wanted us to do. And in it they listed what we should write on our placards. The inscriptions are: non-payment of the arrears of me CONTISS 15 migration to our (NASU) members; budgetary provi­sion for the continued implementa­tion of the CONTISS 15 migration; exclusion of NASU from the mem­bership of the needs assessment committee of public polytechnics, re-negotiation of the 2010 FGN/ NASU agreement for the polytech­nics sector; inadequate funding of the polytechnics; and integrated per­sonnel payroll information system (IPPIS). And this letter is directed to Chief Nyesom Wike.

So you see (hat what we are do­ing now is a programme as designed by the National Secretariat. It is not a branch programme. It is a pro­gramme as directed by the national headquarters. Surprisingly, on the second day we ought to take off; as we were ready for these posters; all the excos met and now discussed again. Surprisingly, somebody called me thai I should come down to the Federal Polytechnic, Oko. On getting to the place there was more than live hundred (500) policemen.

They were staged in every nook and cranny of the school lo my great­est consternation. Little did I know that the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Mr. Obini Onuchukwu sent these text messages to the school's commu­nity: "Attention of the Management has been drawn to a planned demon­stration organized by NASU chair­man, Mr. Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo tomorrow Feb. 6th 2014. Manage­ment warns every NASU member to resist being used for such private agenda as security agencies have been FULLY mobilized to protect life and property. The demonstration is illegal and unpatriotic. The most union friendly Rector has achieved a lot and will continue to strive for bet­ter welfare of staff. PRO." "Resist tricks by Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo and his cohorts. The planned prayer at Oko civic center this morning is a camouflage. Ezenwankwo received N5 million cash yesterday at Ekwulobia by 6pm from a cabal to cause mayhem from the point of the so called prayer. Paid miscreants are already stationed to hijack the situ­ation to attract the attention of the FGN, Security men are on alert. You are advised to stay away from such unlawful gathering. PRO." These he sent to the school's community after they locked everywhere. So what do we do? The police men are look­ing for me. The DPO Ajalli called me, the Area Command called me, Deputy Commissioner of Police called me. By the virtue of these callings, I am also the chairman of PCRC Area command Nnewi and Ajalli respectively. So when they are now trying to find out what was happening, I told them the direc­tives of the national body. They said I .should bring the directives. I now brought this directive to them; gave my secretary to go to the office of the Rector and register it. I gave it to DPO and many of them. Surpris­ingly, I went to the commissioner's office at Awka, they told me I should go and write a forwarding letter for

"I want the Federal Government to investigate what is happening at Federal Polytechnic Oko. This current administration is troublesome" it which 1 did. Still, because I don't wanl tiny bloodshed, boiansc I am working under directives from uk MEiliomil secretarial I now told every­body to go home. I have written to the police commissioner and he has now seen the aims and objectives of this letter. Today again we now had a text message that we should go to Oko civic center. We hired the civic centre for us to go and conclude that prayer. The same day again another text message came. As you are go­ing down to Oko; as press men you can go down to Oko police station and find out what I'm telling you. There are more than 500 police men in the same Oko civic centre. That we should not conduct this rally. And to worsen it, Obini Onuchuk­wu sent this message: "Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo has affected plans to use NASU to destroy the system by inciting staff against the manage­ment. You will agree that the pres­ent management has worked hard to improve staff welfare since 2002. If the planned protest is a national issue, Abuja should have been the better choice location for any dem­onstration. Make any inquiry if there is any ongoing in other institution. Federal Poly Oko is our own, 'help protect it".

Why is the school manage­ment bent on stopping the activities of your union?

From these text messages you can now find out as journalists that he is afraid that some group of people who have not good interest of the management is trying to hijack the day And their intention is that anything you want to do, because they are interested in the second tenure in Federal Polytechnic, Oko, even if you want to do a legitimate rally they will say that you are doing it to stop Godwin Onuh from going for a second tenure. This is a directive. It has been sent to his office and registered, and today if you see the tone of this message: "by cabal to cause mayhem from the so called prayer and the rest of them''. He could no! even believe that it is an action sponsored by the national directorate of NASU. He thought another people are using me. What have I to do since I have given this letter to him? The same letter has gone to the commissioner of police. Why is he afraid? Anything you want to do here is done in all the polytech­nics in Nigeria. Find out if this programme is going on there. What is going on here is intimidation, person's inhumanity to per­son; you cannot breath; if you must breath you must get clearance from Federal Poly­technic Oko since Prof. Godwin Onuh came here as a Rector, We have had nine (9) Rec­tors in this place but there was no problem. Now there are fears of uncertainty. That was how he sacked one of our members, Dr. Linus Nwankwo. Director Medical Services without any query.

He said this man has additional certifi­cate. We now ask as a union, where does ad­ditional certificate disqualify a serving civil servant? He said it was directive from Head of Service. Later Head of Service wrote a letter and said it was not true that there was nothing like additional certificate. He (Godwin Onuh) said that he (Dr. Nwankwo) went to Oko community hospital and squan­dered money there. The Oko community now wrote that this man has not committed any offence. They said that they collected money from the students and gave them receipts. And if they collected money and issued receipt how does it affect Dr. Linus Nwankwo? It is because of Dr. Nwankwo's issue that he is hunting me. I was at Abuja, he now organized with the security men who offered me a public query, pasted it on my door. When I got back I didn't see it. As I'm talking to you now they have also giv­ing me another paper, I did not see it. They said that they have suspended me, that I'm now under suspension. I don't know exactly my problems with them. As I'm talking to you now they have written a letter of sus­pension, pasted it on my door when I came back I couldn't find it. The letter said that they have suspended me because I'm fight­ing for the union.

Now that the college has placed a suspension order on you, what would be the next line of action?

I want the Federal Government to investi­gate what is happening at Federal Polytech­nic Oko. This current administration is troublesome. You cannot joke with your friends. Problems everywhere since this man came into this school. We arc begging the fed­eral government to come and investigate the activities of this current administration. It is becoming unbearable. They are using the federal government vehicle; before you know it now they will tell you that they used N10 million naira to call the security men where there is no problem. Students are at home because of strike, NASU is on strike, ASUP is on strike, so who will do the may­hem?

Are you aware of a student-journalist who was expelled by the Federal Polytechnic, Oko manage­ment recently?

Yes! Because they said the boy was writ­ing something. He is a student in the Mass Communication Department. Yes! They said the boy was writing everything against the school management while the boy is not doing anything. Because they are pur­suing Onyeka Uwakwe, they were claim­ing that Onyeka Uwakwe was sponsoring him. Uwakwe is the chairman of ASUP. See how the boy was expelled from the school without substantiation. He just woke up one morning and said you arc no more a student of this place. This will tell you the type of inexperienced people we have now in the administration.

Are there no guidelines or rules that must be followed before a student is expelled or suspended in Federal Polytechnic, Oko?

There are guidelines. There must be mo­dus divindi, modus agendi, and there must be modus operandi. If any of these ingre­dients is lacking you cannot sack anybody. You must prove where he did, how he did, where did he do it, how he connects to that and you must prove them beyond all reason­able doubts. But now it is just we don't want you again in the institution as a student.

Do NASU intend to intervene in his ma­ter?

Yes, yes! When we will be talking about internal strike now (for our sacked mem­bers) we arc going to mention it. We are going to mention ii! And you should know that that boy is a student, and his actions will now tall within the academic circle where Onyeka Uwakwe should pick up the strug­gle; the lecturers should pick up the strug­gle. The young man is not a non-academic staff  union. The teachers in tire department will pick it up.

You initially made mention of falsehood. Which falsehood are you talking about?

Yes. I want to recall one thing about false­hood and false information. Sometime, the Rector called a meeting of the Non-Aca­demic Staff union of the Federal Polytech­nic, Oko. In that meeting he told them that he gave me N1.5 million to organize NASU workshop. And before he could do that, we applied for N1.7 million. So he called me on phone and told me that he has approved that money, N1.4 million or there about. Two days later; I want you to know the type of Rector we have; two days later I was told that that money was cut down to N700,000 and before then 1 have called my excos and told them that our approval was N1 million plus. (At this juncture, in the course of this interview, sounds of siren from the mobile police men filled the air.) It may be them looking for me now. It may be them coming here. I want it to happen before all of you. My life is in danger. My life is also in dan­ger. You are witness now. They are looking for me. This morning they went to the house of the treasurer. Do you know what brought them there? The secretary went across mat road and all the security men were now pur­suing him thinking we are having a meeting at Mr. Nnoje's place when we had no meet­ing. You have seen the sign. They are look­ing for me. Even my members are not even safe. But the principal person they want to get is me. You people are eyewitnesses. You have seen what is happening.

BY OBINNA ODOGWU

This is the reaction to the stuff above

HE MISLED NASU FOR SELFISH GAIN – PRO

Following recent feud between the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, (OKOPOLY), Anambra State and members of   the   Non-Academic   Staff Union of Educational and As­sociated Institutions (NASU), the  PRO,  OKOPOLY,  Obini Onuchukwu, described claims by the embattled NASD Chair­man as malicious lies meant to undermine the good work of the Prof Godwin Onu admin­istration.

The relationship be­tween NASU and manage­ment has degenerated to cat and dog. What led to this prolonged rift?

I sincerely disagree that the rela­tionship between Die Management and Non Academic Staff Union (NASIJ) or other staff has degen­erated rather this is a moment both NASU and other unions on campus have experienced a belter rapport through their enhanced welfare.

A lot of money has been spent by the management to organize seminars workshops for the unions to improve their skills.

It is also on record that when we came on board in 2010 that so many stall both academic and lion academic were frustrated in service resulting from lack of promotion but today we are not in arrears of am promotion up to 2013 and even when the financial effects had not come, the rector in his magnanim­ity gathered internally generated revenue to commence the effect because he does not want any ill feelings. Again the Rector recent­ly concluded conversion, proper placement and upgrading exercises in the institution to ensure staff are placed correctly and motivated enough to deliver.

The welfare of Staff is often a key point for agita­tion by unions. What have the present administration done towards improving the working condition of the staff?

Staff of the institution has benefitted in so many other ways from this current administration for ex­ample, no fewer than 200 staff both teaching and non teaching are cur­rently on study leave with pay both at home and abroad.

Today in Federal Polytechnic, Oko, staffs are sponsored out of the state, overseas and across the world for conferences, seminars and workshops, where they have pre­sented papers and improved them­selves, including this Ezenwankwo who recently received Nl1.5m from the management to organize work­shop for his members.

Salaries of workers have been paid as at when due not later than 25th of every month and currently the Rector is finalizing arrange­ment with a frontline communica­tion agency to install broadband for easy access to internet. The Rector has also perfected digitalized sys­tem ranging from power point pre­sentation with animation, acquired clever boards to enhance teaching for staff.

The Rector for want of office space is building skill' offices, classrooms auditoriums totaling about 17 gigan­tic structures and none less than two storey building for convenient of staff and all are modern buildings with in­built toilet facilities and air condition­ers. He has done about 5km roads for the comfortable movement of staff within and around the campus, livery December, all staff both junior and senior, academic and non academic benefit from the largesse of bags of rice, gallons of groundnut oil and cartons of tomatoes, courtesy of the rector. Recently, through the polytechnic's consultancy outfit, the rector has perfected plans lo acquire vast piece of land at subsidized rates for benefit of staff, both academic and non aca­demic. The rector recently through the help of JEZCO Oil renovated the fuel dump of the polytechnic for nearness to staff and to ensure that they buy at normal rates and accurate metres. The rector acquired motorcycles for con­venient monitoring by SERVICON, security and other activities on the campus. I see him as a most union-friendly rector who has the interests of the unions at heart.

NASU accused the Rec­tor of becoming dictatorial in power, using police and the school armed Anti-Curt Group to harass staff. Do you nurse the fear that continued hostility on campus could mar peaceful academic activities?

On the aspect of using police to harass staff; without mincing words I can tell is untrue. As a matter of tact, the staff of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, are happy and very satisfied with their relationship with the rector and that explains why they baptized him the Digital Rector. If the Rector has no cordial relationship with the staff, he won't be holding regular staff forum, where staff are given opportunities to ask questions on any area of concern.

What happened was that Ezenwankwo on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 gathered members of NASU at Lincoln Hotel Oko in the name of organizing prayers and his ser­mon was castigations against the management. He invariably was inciting the staff against the man­agement for no reason. In that meeting he informed the staff how he intended to paint the polytechnic black with demonstration, claiming that the National body of NASU requested them to embark on peaceful demonstration. Shortly after his explanation he brought a two page document dated February 5, directed to Ministry of Education, titled Re-Indefinite Strike Action and there was no place the national body requested them to go demon­stration.

In view of the fragile situation on ground, we did not want to take chances because some of our students who are angry about the distortion of academic calendar fol­lowing the ASUP strike may catch in and hijack the situation and it will go out of hand.

We simply notified the law en­forcement agencies to do their work. We had no hands whatsoever in stopping the rally even though we knew it was unpatriotic. Our Anti Cult Unit is quite busy with their responsibilities. We did not scuttle any prayer session.

Ezenwankwo seems to have lost the aim and objectives of unionism and is busy pursuing his selfish in­terest. For about two years he has been in the headship of the union, it has been one controversy to an­other, spending the union's money in trouble making and his members are agitating and have written the national body for Ezenwankwo to render account which up to this moment nothing has been done.

We therefore request Ezenwank­wo to please leave management alone to concentrate and carry out its mandate which by the grace of God has been renewed by Mr. Pres­ident for another four years. Ezen­wankwo suspension has nothing to do with NASU strike. It is a nation wide issue. He knows the reason and I know he will not be in a hurry to tell you.

BY SAM OTTI