Sacked ESUT Lecturers Accuse Management Of Using Them To Seek NUC Accreditation

Posted by African Examiner education, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

The recently sacked lecturers of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), have accused the institution’s management of engaging in academic fraud of use and dump.

The sacked 153 academia said on Monday that their relieve, which came few days after the Nigeria Universities Commission, (NUC), accreditation, amounted to “use and dump.”

“They used us to obtain accreditation from the NUC after which we have now been sent packing; this is academic fraud; they played tricks on the NUC.”

AFRICAN EXAMIMER gathered that the dramatic dismissal, which equally affected a Professor and a Reader, cuts across various departments in the state owned ivory tower.

Meanwhile, no reason was, given in the disengagement letter given to the affected lecturers.

The letter signed by the University Registrar, Leonard Khama and obtained by newsmen Tuesday, stated, thus: “I am directed to inform you that the University is presently not positioned to employ you.

“You should, therefore, handover any university property in your possession to the Head of Department. If, however, your services are required in the future by the University, you will be informed accordingly.”

Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, some of the affected staff, who craved anonymity, lamented that they were not paid since they were employed in February 2015.

According to them: “In spite of the huge debts we have incurred in the process of living up to our responsibilities, and keeping our jobs, no salary was paid to anyone of us.

“Our employment was as a result of acute shortage of staff that consistently denied ESUT the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation on different occasions.

“The fruit of our employment have been felt in the vacuum we filled in classes and other academic exercises, but most evidently we were used to get full NUC accreditation for many departments in the university.”

The sacked staff, who spoke under the aegis of “Disengage Members of Staff of ESUT” equally stated, “Since our employment, we have discharged our academic duties diligently, which included lecturing, invigilating during examinations, marking of quiz and examinations scripts and preparation of results, as well as taking active part in June 2015 accreditation exercise.”

Asked if they had made their grievances known to the state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the former ESUT workers, said they had written him on the matter but no response has come from him.

When contacted, the ESUT Director for Public Affairs, Ossy Uwuoti, said he would not comment on the issue. He added he would first meet his principals for details before making any comment on the matter.