Ebonyi Governor Calls For Scrapping Of ASUU

Ebonyi State governor Martin Elechi, yesterday called
for the disbandment of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU in the country, following its
alleged antecedent of sabotaging the effort of
governments in the area of education and provision
of infrastructural facilities to institution of higher
learning.
Speaking with members and executives of the state
chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ,
Elechi described ASUU's action as a sabotage of the
education sector and the corporate existence of
country; stressing the need for the union to always
consider the future of students while taking steps to
contribute its quota towards the improvement of the
education sector.
"The major victims of this strike are not government
but the students and things are not what they should
be.
"ASUU is due for proscription; the way they are going
is sabotage to the existence of the country. When I
travelled I heard that lecturers had resumed in EBSU;
my plan was that if any lecturer is to resume he or
she is to renounce their membership of the union.
"At a point in time, history must change if not we will
keep drifting; in EBSU, it is still a case of no work no
pay."
On Ebonyi indigenes who were disengaged from Abia
State civil service, the governor noted that the state
had no covenant with the affected workers that they
would be reabsorbed into Ebonyi State civil service.
He noted that what was necessary was for the state
to ensure that their retirement benefits were duly
paid to them.
It should be recalled that over 80 Ebonyi indigenes
who were disengaged from Abia State civil service
had staged a peaceful protest at the Government
House, Abakaliki, and other relevant government
agencies in the state in 2010.
The indigenes, who were mostly from Ebonyi South
and North senatorial districts of the state were seen
carrying placards with various inscriptions, such as 'a
sojourner has a home', 'we have come home for
sense of belonging', 'Ebonyi state, salt of the nation,
we embrace you', East or West, North or South, Home
is better', Governor T.A. Orji says no to two dual
citizenship, His Excellency, Ebonyi state Governor,
kindly receive your people' moved around the
vicinity, chatting songs to reflect their state of
despondency.
Spokesman of the group, Mr. Okoro Chibuike Uduma,
pointed out that the reason they were disengaged
was because the governor of Abia State, Chief
Theodore Orji, wanted to implement the payment of
the N18, 000 minimum wage for only indigenes of
his state.
According to him, most of them were disengaged
from Abia State Local Government Education
Authority, local government councils, among others.
[Vanguard]