Nsukka youths protest alleged plan by UNN-VC to install successor secretly

By Our Reporter

No fewer than 1000 youths from Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu State on Wednesday protested what they alleged to be a secret plan by Prof. Charles Igwe, the outgoing Vice-chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)  to install his successor secretly.

The youths who started the peaceful protest from Total Roundabout, Nsukka, through the university road to UNN main gate, were heard chanting, "Igwe why did you cancel the UNN  Senate meeting fixed today to select the person that you will hand over to".

The youths were also bearing placards with different inscriptions such as; "VC hand over to the most senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

"Why was the special senate meeting scheduled today cancelled?

"VC respect Nsukka land. Enough is enough, do the right thing now.

"Honour the Minister's Directive.

"Enugu people will not accept imposition," among others.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest at UNN's first gate, Mr. Roy Ekwueme, President of Nsukka Youth General Assembly (NYGA) said that the protest was to convey their disappointment on the indefinite cancellation of the scheduled UNN senate meeting to select who the outgoing VC would hand over to.

"It is unfortunate that the UNN senate meeting scheduled to take place today (5th June) was cancelled indefinitely, whereas the outgoing VC's tenure will end on June 10th.

"If the senate is not sitting to recommend who Igwe will hand over to, what it means is that there is a secret plan by the outgoing VC to select any person of his choice to succeed him.

"Igwe knows that if the right thing is done, Prof Johnson Urama, Deputy VC Academic who is from Nsukka will be the right person to be handed over to as the most senior Deputy vice-chancellor.

"We are surprised that Igwe who was born and brought up in Nsukka appeared to be planning to short-change Nsukka people," he said.

The NYGA president who explained that the directives from the National University Commission (NUC) and Federal Ministry of Education on this regard have been obeyed by other public universities in the country and wondered why the UNN case will be different.

"In other universities with similar cases, their senate has sat and recommended the most senior Deputy vice-chancellor for the outgoing to handover, but I don't know why UNN case will be different.

"We are not asking Igwe to do any favour to us, but he should do the right thing as directed by NUC and federal ministry of education.

"If Igwe goes ahead to do the wrong thing, Nsukka people will explore every legal avenue to seek redress," he said.

Efforts to get a reaction from the outgoing VC (Igwe) were not successful as calls and text messages to his mobile phone number were not replied to at the time of filing this report

However, when contacted, Chief Okwun Omeaku, the Public Relations Office of UNN said that he does not know who is feeding the youths with false information.

Meanwhile, UNN Security personnels mounted heavy security at university main gate to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order during the protest.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Football a veritable tool to engage youths against crime, drug abuse - Chief Ngwu

Image
Chief Austin Ngwu, one of the Sponsors of the 2023 Nsukka Town Youths Football League has commended the Nsukka Town Youths Association (NTYA) for using football competition to campaign against crime and drug abuse among youths. Ngwu made the commendation in Nsukka at the weekend during the grand finale of the 2023 Nsukka Town Youths Football League competition held at the Nsukka Township Stadium in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State with the theme; "Shoot-Out Drug Abuse among the Youths." He said that football competition and other sports remained one of the veritable tools to engage the youths meaningfully and prevent them against crime and drug abuse, stressing that the competition was meant to sharpen the skills and fish out hidden talents among youths in the area while discouraging them from illicit drugs use. "I commend Nsukka town youths for using the football league to drive the campaign against the use of illicit drugs among youths in the area. "
Read more

Imo State is over due, to occupy the position of VC in UNN - Commissione

Image
By Agency Report Prof Boniface Nworgu, the Imo State Commissioner for Science and Technology says, Imo State is over due to become the Vice-Chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). Nworgu said this in Nsukka on Friday during the Maiden Heartland Lecture organised by Imo Professors Forum (IPF) in UNN with the team "Identity, Determination and Self Realisation through Knowledge-based Idealogy". The commissioner who chaired the occasion in a remark, wondered why  Imo State a  critical stakeholde in South East and in UNN had not been allowed to produce the Chief Executive Office  (CEO) of the university  since 1960 the institution was established. "For over half a century of UNN existence nobody of Imo extraction has become the VC of the university, the situation has put a feeling of isolation and marginalisation on the people from the state. "In spite the fact that IPF have many erudite professors  who have distinguished themselves in their different area
Read more

Don kicks against implementation of Oronsaye report

Image
By Agency Report Prof Jonah Onuoha, former Head of Department Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) says the present economic hardship in the country is not the best time to implement the Steve Oronsaye Panel report of 2012 that will make many civil service lose their jobs. Onuoha who is the Director, Centre for American Studies in UNN said this in Nsukka over the weekend while reacting on recent approval by  Federal Executive Council (FEC) for full implementation of Oronsaye report. He alleged that it was because of high rate of unemployments that was responsible for hardship and insecurity in the country. The Political Scientist said that it would not be proper for government to render more Nigerians jobless in the name of implementing the report in order to cut cost of governance at this critical time. "This is not the best time to implement this report because more Nigerians will lose their jobs and hardship will increase. "Unless government will ass
Read more