Labour unions and the entire community of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education Owerri have completely dismissed any manner of tension rumoured around the tertiary. institution as it concerns its transition.
The unions, however, warned some sections of the media, dishing out rumours of tension in the institution over adherence to the NUC laws, rules, and code of conduct guiding the process of any transition from an already existing institution to a university, to desist forthwith.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri Tuesday, the Chairman of the Association of Academic Staff Union of the Institution, Dr. (Mrs.) Jovita Agu said that this set of rules regulates the assessment, evaluation, and placement processes of both academic and non-teaching staff.
She stressed that an academic in a college of education system hardly retain the same rank on transition to the university system.
Agu dismissed rumours of tension in the institution, stressing that it is the strict adherence to and application of the NUC that stipulated rules for staff re-designation and placement in the institution that had provoked outcry, outburst, and raising of eyebrows, thus giving birth to unfounded allegations.
She said, “As the saying goes, if you have to access the Omelelle, you must definitely break the egg.”.
The ASSU chairman advised the staff of the institution to zero their minds on the fact that for the sake of the much-vaunted, well-deserved, hard-earned, and highly cherished status of the university, no sacrifice should be deemed too much for its attainment.
Agu noted that the university had traditionally enjoyed a peaceful atmosphere, industrial harmony, and unity of purpose, stressing that unfounded allegations being levelled against some principal officers of the university were products of grave evil machinations and fallacies that should be ignored by all.
On the ongoing admission of the first set of students into the institution, the labour union activist advised all qualified candidates who scored up to 140 and above in the last JAMB examination to change institutions if they did not earlier choose the varsity for admission.
Agu hailed the acting vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Stella Ngozi Lemchi, for her capacity and capability in ensuring a seamless transition process for the university as well as championing the collective welfare of every staff member of the university.
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