Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
As the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Ebonyi state university (EBSU) chapter continued to cripple academic activities in the university, the visitor to the school and Governor of Ebonyi state, Chief David Umahi, has called on the management of the university to sit up to its core responsibility of managing the institution effectively or face disciplinary actions.
This came a week after the Governor proscribed ASUU, NASU and others unions in the institution except the Students Union Government (SUG) as parts of efforts to ensure resumption of academic activities in the state university.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dr.Onyebuchi Chima, in a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof.Chigozie Ogbu,on Tuesday decried what he termed the current practice procedure of dragging the governor into the everyday administration of school.
Dr,Chima in the letter commended the state Governor for taking up 40% of the monthly wage bill of the the institution and also for always releasing the school’s monthly subventions of N150M, and for equally releasing additional N200M bailout recently to the school management to augment staff salaries.
He therefore mandated the Vice Chancellor and the entire management of the university to immediately implement an innovative and strategic action-plan of managing the institution within the limits of its resources and to desist from’’ the current wrongful practice of ‘passing the balls’ and acting in the manners as though someone else has the responsibilities of managing the affairs of Ebonyi State University especially in this Challenging period in our country’’
Dr.Chima directed the school management to as a matter of urgency engage all relevant stakeholders towards implementing practical actions/projects that will help to return the university to its rightful place as one of the best state universities in country or he will be moved to advise the Visitor of the school to change the leadership of the university.