The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), South – South zone, has  called for the immediate reinstatement of the sacked teachers teaching in both staff school and  Demonstration Secondary School owned by  Ignatius Ajuru University of Education ,Rumuolumini in Port Harcourt.
The National Vice president  of SSANU, South-South , Comrade Cheta U. Azumah made this demand when he led other executive members of the union to pay a courtesy visit on the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUOE, Prof Okechuku Onuchuku in his office in Port Harcourt , recently as part of the proceedings leading  to the zonal executive council meeting of the union being hosted by the university in Port Harcourt.
Azumah told the Vice Chancellor that the demand for the reinstatement of the teachers became necessary following the unbearable conditions of the affected categories of the staffs , stressing that most of the workers have lost their parental rights in their various families as result of their inability to provide for their families.
He disclosed that many of the workers are sick and can not pay for both medical and education bills of  their children and dependants , adding that they  are now leaving on the mercy of their colleagues who contribute two thousand naira as welfare to them every month.
He told his host that the affected staffs won the state  government  in the courts up to Appeal court and urged him to represent the matter to the state government and the institutions’ Governing Council.
“Vice Chancellor sir,now that we have a new administration in the state and also new governing council for the university, please represent this matter so that these people who have contributed to the development of the institution can not be wirsked off like that.some of them have put in from 30,25,20 years in service .They are now living on the mercy of others and can not provide for their families is not good”,he stated.
The South South SSANU helmsman who doubles as the director Administration at the Rivers State University used the opportunity to expressed the unions appreciations to the management of the institution for  regular promotions and efficient welfare policy in the school.

Azumah while commending the vice Chancellor and his management team for the various achievements in the institution urged him to use his office and look in to  the issues of upsurbing positions of non teaching staffs in the university by the the teaching staffs cadre , noting that such act doesn’t breed growth and professionalism.

“Let a lecturer sticks to the lecturing work for which he was employed and allow non teaching staffs to also do their work , upsurbing the work of non teaching staffs by lecturers is not good”

He averred that the essence of their zonal executive council meeting been hosted by the university branch was to enable the union  look critically  at  issues confronting the union and see how to advance the course of the union and better the welfare of its teeming members .

In his response,the acting vice Chancellor of IAUOE, prof Okechukwu Onuchukwu welcomed his guest to the school and assured them of their support for the successful meeting in the university.

Onuchukwu told them that he had represented the matter of reinstatement of the sacked teachers to the current governing council of the institution and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved soonest.

“When I assumed office the first thing we did was to look into the matter but we were told that the matter was in the court now that the matter has been out of the court , we had already intimated the new council and it will be looked at and also we will see how we can make those schools not only pay their salary but a source of revenue to the university”he stated.

He assured that staff welfare and providing good working environment at the works place will continue to be the hallmarks of his administration and wished them well in their deliberations.

Earlier at the opening session of the ZEC meeting held at the university auditorium,the branch chairman of SSANU , IAUOE,Comrade  Chisa Egu while giving the account of his steward, said his administration currently is building a 1000 capacity sitting conference hall and urged the meeting to deliberate on those issues that will uplift the standard of the members in line with the present economic impacts and realities in the country.

By: Akujobi Amadi