UNN workers protest, want VC removed

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WORKERS of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) made good their threat yesterday as they continued their protest calling for the removal of the university's Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bartho Okolo.

   On Sunday, the university's Alumni Association took the crisis in the institution to the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, calling for their intervention to save the school.

   The alumni, whose position was presented by its Deputy National President, Mrs. Onyeka Onyebuchi, said that activities had paralysed at the institution since resumption in December last year over the lingering strike.

   She said the cause of this was the removal of the school's Pro-chancellor, Emeka Enejere with reasons, stressing that since then, the unions had vowed that no activity would be held at the institution until Okolo was removed and Enejere recalled.

   Dressed in black attire, the workers, who just returned from Christmas and New Year break, urged the Federal Government to reinstate Enejere and remove Okolo on allegation of corruption and financial recklessness.

   They were led during the protest under the platform of Joint Action Committees (JAC) by the university's union leaders, who included Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Abada - ASUU, Godfrey Ugwu - Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Mr. Paul Obodoike of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), among others.

   The protest started with a prayer session at the UNN Freedom Square, after which the workers marched to the second gate opposite Zik's Flat hostels, chanting solidarity songs.

   As a result of the protest, all academic and administrative activities were paralysed in the institution.

   Addressing journalists, spokesman of JAC, Abada, said that workers want government to remove the VC for allegedly running the university as his personal business.

   They equally demanded the setting up of a panel of inquiry into the activities of the vice chancellor.

   He said, "Government should reinstate the suspended pro-chancellor or make public the offence he committed.

   "UNN workers want government to remove Okolo and set up a panel of inquiry to probe him on his financial recklessness and refusal to adhere to due process in awarding contracts."

Abada said that the protest was one of the ways the workers were using to show that they were not comfortable with Okolo's administration, adding that, "we will continue this protest until justice is done through government's intervention."

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