OSAS EMMANUEL
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has expressed grave concern that the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, is sliding into irrelevance and disrepute as a result of unmitigated erosion, violation and abuse of its laws and regulations by the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Sonnie Adagbonyin.
The Union cited the alleged arbitrary removal of the substantive Deans of the Faculties of Agriculture and Social Sciences by the Acting Vice Chancellor as the most recent grievous assault on the University law that must not be allowed to stand.
“The Deans are being victimised for being consistent, forthright, loyal and sincere to the course of the Union’s struggle for revitalisation of public universities in Nigeria as symbolised by our just suspended 8 months nationwide strike action,” the Union said.
In a statement signed by Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele and Dr. Willam Odion, Chairperson and Acting Secretary respectively of the University’s chapter of ASUU, the Union condemned in strong terms the report of the removal of the Deans of Faculties of Agriculture and Social Sciences as well as other committed members of the Union from their official positions in the University by the Acting Vice Chancellor for no just cause than reason bordering on union activities, describing the action of the Acting Vice Chancellor as recipe for crisis and instability in the university.
The Union accused the Acting Vice Chancellor of vendetta and victimisation of its committed members as a result of deep frustration arising from his failure to successfully break the just suspended nationwide strike action in the university.
The Union said the Acting Vice Chancellor must be compelled to uphold the law of the University in the emergence of Deans for the various Faculties in the University and urged the Edo State Governor and Visitor to the University, Mr. Godwin Obaseki to halt the systematic slide of the University to irrelevance by calling the Acting Vice Chancellor to order.
The Union deplored the situation where a Professor is summarily removed as Dean without recourse to the law and regulations of the University and replaced him with just a Senior Lecturer in the University’s faculty of social sciences which parades more than 15 Professors and several Associate Professors. The Union described the situation as mockery, bizarre and an aberration in a university of 21st century.
Citing the Third Schedule (section 11 (3) sub-section 7 (a-g) of Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma Law 1999 (as Amended), which extensively provides for the emergence and removal of a Dean of Faculty, the Union said that the rule of law should be allowed to prevail in the University.
The Union insisted, in accordance with the law of the university, that “the Dean of a Faculty shall be a Professor elected by the Faculty Boards and such Dean shall hold office for a term of two years. He will be eligible for re-election for another term of two years after which he may not be elected or appointed again until two years have elapsed.”
The Union further cited the law of the university to wit: “that the Dean of a Faculty may be removed for good cause by the Vice-Chancellor, upon the recommendations of the Faculty Board after a vote has been taken at the meeting of the Board.
In the event of a vacancy occurring following the removal of a Dean, an acting Dean may be appointed by the Vice-Chancellor provided that the next Faculty Board meeting, an election shall be held for a new Dean, without prejudice to any decision of Council with regard to any appeal to it as provided for in this Article.”
The Union expressed sadness over the Acting Vice Chancellor’s action, asserting that no “good cause” has been established to support the removal of the Deans.
Reiterating its resolve to remain consistent in challenging violation and abuse(s) of the University laws, the Union insisted that compliance with the Law and with the tradition of the University is the surest way to instill academic discipline, build solid academic culture and bring about rapid development of the University.
