Crisis erupted Thursday at the Chukwuemeka Odumegeu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam Campus, Anambea State, when armed security allegedly chased members of Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU) of the institution and Owerri Zone executive out of their Congress Hall during a zonal meeting.
The armed men reportedly acting on the instruction of the management of the institution, attempted to disrupt the meeting of the embattled ASUU members who relocated to hold their meeting under a mango tree in front Faculty of Social Sciences block.
The Owerri Zone executive of ASUU, were in COOU, Igbariam Campus in solidarity with ASUU COOU over alleged threats by the institutions management on its ongoing strike.
Visibly angry Owerri Zone Coordinator Comrade Uzor Onyebinanma of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Umuahia Abia State accompanied by his predecessor Comrade Ike Odumegwu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University expressed disappointment with the management of the institution for using armed security men to harass them.
Condemning the alleged harassment by the security men, Comrade Onyebiname said that today ASUU members were treated like common criminals, a situation where the management of COOU will unleash security men on us in an attempt to prevent us from holding our meeting at the Congress hall and even under a mango tree is unacceptable, even students cannot be treated that way.
He said that the issue of sympathy strike does not arise by COOU ASUU, does not arise because most of issues the national ASUU are agitating for affects ASUU COOU, and the institution also stands to benefit.
He enumerated some of their demands as to get government satisfactorily address matters of Earned Academic Allowance, EAA, conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN ASUU agreement, revitalization fund for public universities, discontinuation of proliferation of state universities among others.
Also speaking, ASUU COOU chairperson, Prof Alphonsus Aniebo accused the COOU management of coercing members to abandon the national strike, even when the university has benefited from many agitations and demands of national ASUU.
“The COOU Management are hell bent on destroying ASUU in COOU, the Vice Chancellor has trivialized issues in this institution, putting all issues around Aniebo, they have even scheduled examinations in the school when the students have resumed,” he added.
Contacted, Public Relations Officer of COOU, Dr Chukwueloka Christian denied Vice Chancellor’s knowledge about the presence of ASUU Owerri Zone executive nor unleashed security men against them.
“The Vice Chancellor I know cannot do that because he is a gentle man and cannot work against Zonal ASUU, and moreover ASUU has secretariat in the school, they can as well hold their meeting there,” he said.
