Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt branch, have called on the Federal Government to urgently initiate the processes that will lead to the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the university even as they berate the Federal Government for not having reconstituted the Governing Council of the institution since the dissolution of the last council members in May 2020.
ASUU said such action was an outright wilful breach of the Universities Miscellaneous Act of 2003 by the Federal Government.
The Chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr Austen Sado  stated this during a press briefing by the union held at its secretariat in Port Harcourt recently .
Sado alleged that the Federal Government was  politicising the issue of the reconstitution of the Governing Council ,adding  that the non-constitution of a Governing Council was negatively affecting the institution as it has cost the welfare of staff including promotion to be put in abeyance as well as stalled the appointment of the Vice Chancellor and other principal officers of the institution.
According to him , the power to appoint a Vice Chancellor in any federal university was vested in  the Governing Council of such institution as espoused in the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act of 2003 Section 3(1.2.3.4)
“There shall be a Vice Chancellor of a university who shall be appointed by the Governing Council in accordance with the provision of this section”
“It is unthinkable that a government whose mantra is fight against corruption  could advertently or inadvertently be complicit in violating the rule of law, he said.
Sado warned that if the trend continues,the union would  withdraw its cooperation with the leadership of the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution after 13th January, 2020 when the tenure of Prof Stephen Okodudu, the present occupant will elapse and  called  on members of the public to synergise to ensure that government is not allowed to cause disharmony in the university.