In a Communique Released at the end of their general meeting and made available to the News Gazette Online the Joint Action Committees, (JAC), comprising of NASU, NAAT and SSANU of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. has passed a vote of no confidence on the school’s governing council accusing the board of alleged mismanagement of the schools resources to the tune of 2 billion naira, in a letter dated 8th of September 2020 and signed by the Chairman and secretary of each of the unions they alleged that the board connived with Vice Chancellor Prof. Otunta to withhold 55 months arrears of ₦30,000.00/per month Occupational Hazard allowances approved for them, they also threatened violent action against the board Chairman and Prof. K. W Bukar a member of the board who they accused of aiding the mismanagement and various corrupt practices going on in the university if the issues raised are not resolved.
Press Release.
JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE, (JAC), OF NASU, NAAT AND SSANU, MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIK
8th September, 2020.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairma
MOUAU Governing Council,
Abia State
Dear Sir,
RESOLUTION OF JAC OF NASU, NAAT AND SSANU AT THE END OF ITS JOINT CONGRESS HELD ON TUESDAY 8th SEPTEMBER, 2020.
‘Our Chairman of Council’ we write with heavy burdens in our hearts that the Council which you led decided to run away from the people you were supposed to sit for their welfare.
Sir, JAC Executive Committee wrote seeking audience with the Governing Council on issues of urgent importance, we only got oral response to our letter through a phone call to JAC Chairman by Professor Kaka W Burkar inviting JAC EXCOS to a meeting with Council by 3.00pm although our letter proposed 11.00am. Coincidentally, JAC Congress was on-going waiting for feedback from their representatives meeting with Council but Council again instead of sitting at the scheduled venue [ Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room, MOUAU] decided to hold their meeting at a rented Hotel accommodation outside the Campus thereby lavishing scarce resources of the University. JAC Congress in session waited patiently from 10am to 3pm that Professor Burkar fixed the JAC EXCOS to meet with Council. Sir by 3pm Professor Burkar with whom JAC have been communicating with, switched off his phone thereby leaving both the EXCOS and Congress members confused. At this juncture, JAC Chairman dismissed the JAC Congress but asked them to reconvene on Tuesday 8th September, 2020.
JAC Congress of 8th September, 2020, unanimously condemned the action of Council on Friday 6th September, 2020 and took the following resolutions and mandated JAC EXCOS to communicate the outcome of this meeting and main issues at stake to Council through the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council and publish same in any available media platform. For this meeting, the following resolutions were taken;
1. That since ‘Our Council ‘ which supposed to meet EXCOS of JAC on Friday 6th September, 2020 decided to do otherwise but instead rented hotel accommodation outside the campus for their general meeting , Congress resolved that Council should not hold any other meeting on campus until the same Council deems it fit to meet with JAC to decide the way forward.
2. JAC Congress in session after due considerations on issues surrounding the spending of University’s scarce resources in rented hotel accommodations, decided to pass ‘a vote of no confidence’ on the Council you have led so far.
3. JAC in session calls for immediate resolutions of all the issues raised in the first write-up to you Sir and the second one. This will enable the JAC EXCOS to be able to control members from acting violently on campus before the issues are resolved.
4. JAC in session demands the auditing of the controversial MOUAU Nigeria Ltd. FirstBank account number FB-3108588715 domiciled in Umuahia into which over #2billion ( two billion naira) belonging to the University were lodged. A garnishee order was issued on this account by a Federal High Court sitting in Owerri.
5. JAC in session finally demands an apology from Professor Kaka W Burkar, a member of Council for his ungentle manly behaviour with respect to the role he played in deceiving JAC EXCOS and members of Congress, having observed an x-rayed his overbearing influence on the Council Chairman and the present University Management.
Attached to this letter is our earlier letter to Council which could not get to you Sir because of your Council’s refusal to meet with us.
Signed:
NASU Chairman – Comr. Ifeanyi Ohambele.
NASU Secretary – Comr. Tochukwu Ekwomadu.
NAAT Chairman – Comr. Ime Michael Okon.
NAAT Secretary – Comr. Richard Obasi.
SSANU Chairman – Comr. Ken Njoku.
SSANU Secretary – Comr. Ikechukwu Azuogu.
