Education
Authentic List: RSUST Lecturers Await Management Response
Students at Cherrgforte International School, Woji Estate during an excution visit to the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation in Port Harcourt, recently.
Recently, recalled lec
turers of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) are currently awaiting the response of the management of the university in the feud over an authentic list of the lecturers
In an exclusive interview with The Tide last Friday, chairman of the University’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Payate, Suobere Taderigha, said following their recall after three years of strike, and subsequent reinstatement of their rights and privileges, an authentic list of all such lecturers are yet to be compiled for onward submission to the state government.
Dr Tadaerigha, alleged that a list said to have been sent to the state government by management of the university was fraudulent as it did not contain the genuine names of lecturers who had been on strike as agreed by the lecturers and management of the institution.
He explained that following a meeting of both parties on the 19th of June, 2015, a list of 63 names of lecturers was compiled as those due for payment of outstanding salaries covering the period of the three of the years strike.
However, contrary to the said agreement, ASUU found out that an entirely different list containing 55 names that included names of lecturers who were not on strike and sundry anomalies was sent to the government.
“To our amazement, instead of 63 names it was now 55 names. So, we were short of eight names,” Dr. said, adding that “we also found out that they added extra names of person who were not on strike”.
In addition to this, Puyate stated that the list submitted to the state government was filed with other fraudulent claims which he said was intended to defraud the state government and also soil the image of ASUU in the university.
“We also observed that the figures computed were over-bloated for us as a union. This is a means of defrauding the government, and we as a union cannot partake in such criminal tendency.
“There was also over-bloating of house rent, electricity bills and sanitation (fees),” he said.
The ASUU boss further alleged that management of the university also claim to have paid the salaries of the striking lecturers up to September 2012, while they only paid up to August.
According to him, the aggrieved lecturers have duely compiled these and other anomalies and written to the vice chancellor, Professor Barineme Fakae, hence they await his response.
“As at now, we are still waiting for them (Management) to do the right thing. That list they have sent to government, we cannot accept it because it does not give a true picture of those of us who were on strike.
On how to resolve the feud, Dr. Tadaerigha stated that “the right thing should be done”. This he said implies that representatives of the recalled lectures and those of management would need to dialogue and come up with the authentic list.
Efforts to get the perspective of management through the VC failed but when contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Mr. Desmond Wosu, blamed the lecturers for taking their grievances to the press.
According to him, the lecturers did not follow due process to resolve the issue internally.
It will be recalled that the latest feud over the authentic list of the lecturers sequel to the May 29, 2015 directive by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who in his inaugural speech recalled lecturers after three years of strike and accorded them all their rights and privileges.
Sogbeba Dokubo
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