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