No vacancy in COOU VC’s office, Concerned Staff tell ASUU

As rush for the coveted office of Vice-Chancellorship of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, continues, Concerned Non-Teaching Staff of the  University tell the vendors of the information that vacancy does not exist in Prof. Fidelis Okafor’s office till 2019.

Staff members of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Anambra State, under the umbrella of Concerned Non-Teaching Staff of COOU, have admonished those advertising vacancy in the office of the Vice- Chancellor of the University, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, to retract their steps and stop distracting the VC from the good job he is doing in the institution.
          In a Press Statement signed by the Chairman of SSANU, Asoegwu Vincent (Esq), and ten others for and on behalf of the Concerned Non-Teaching Staff of the university, the group insisted that the letter from the Academic Union of Universities branch of the COOU Ref: ASUU-COOU/16/SFSA/GV/02 dated July 25, 2016, addressed to the Executive Governor of Anambra State and Visitor of the University, Chief Willie Obiano, that the VC’s tenure has elapsed, was an indication that the ASUU Chairman, Secretary, and/or their membership did not know the content of the University Law, which took effect on the 11th day of September, 2014.
          Stressing that the tenure of the VC would elapse in September, 2019, the group insisted that the business of who becomes the Vice-Chancellor is not for ASUU but for the Governing Council/Senate and, indeed, Your Excellency, the Governor of the State/Visitor of the University, who has the final say.      
          “May we now educate the ASUU leadership, and in the process, remind all of us of the provisions of our University Law as it concerns the present situation with our Vice-Chancellorship.
          “Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Univewrsity Law Ref: ANHA/LAW/2014/12, which our governor signed into Law on the 12th day of November, 2014, took retrospective effect from the 11th day of September, 2014.
          “At Statute VI in page A19, the Vice-Chancellor on item (2) instant SIC “Effective from the commencement of this Law, the Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for a single non-renewable tenure of five years and on such terms and condition as to emolument and/or as may be specified in his letter of appointment.
          “Our Governing Council is fully aware of her duties as in Odinance II on page A38 of our University Law. As such, the Governing Council did not announce any vacancy in the post of the Vice Chancellor from the foretasted (1) and (2), because none exists”.
          The statement urged His Excellency, the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, to disregard any letter, petition or agitation from ASUU-COOU as it intends to distract his attention. It also urged His Excellency to instruct the ASUU-COOU leadership to maintain decorum in the conduct of her affairs.
          The statement which stated that the administration of Prof. Okafor was achievement laden, added, “Teaching, learning and research are robust in COOU under Prof Fidelis Okafor as Vice Chancellor. Under him, the university has grown in lips and bounds academically. Upon assumption of office, with his gifted ingenuity, he resolved the six months industrial action embarked upon by the staff of the university, and since then, there has not been any incidence of strike and strife. Convocation has become a yearly ritual and students graduate on record time.
          “Under him, there has been increased number of professors. More disciplines have been introduced and accredited by the NUC as the university now has 10 faculties with over 54 departments”.
CAPTION: Emeka Igwe, former chairman of NASSU; Vincent Asoegwu, chairman of SSANU; Comrade Chigozie Ntomchukwu, Deputy Registrar; Mrs Onwuatu Mariam and Dr. Emma Ekwesianya, Deputy Medical Director during the briefing.