Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

The Chairman, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Alumni Association, Onitsha branch, Chris Ajugwe, has reiterated the commitment of the 13-man executive led by him to lifting the organisation amidst treachery by some people he described as “disgruntled elements” who want to pull the association down by forming a parallel executive.

Interacting with our correspondent in Onitsha over the crisis rocking the alumni association, Mr Ajugwe, a lawyer, said there was no faction in the association, but admitted that a few “dissatisfied and disgruntled elements’’ who were out to destroy the activities of the group by forming a parallel executives, capitalised on the crisis in the national leadership of UNN alumni to foment trouble.

Mr Ajugwe who narrated the genesis of the crisis stated that the Onitsha branch of the alumni had been dormant for several years due to inactivity and absence of purposeful leadership until he mounted the saddle to rescue it from obscurity.

He lamented that one of the actions he took alongside his executives to revive the association was the successful hosting of a “Founders Day” celebration on September 23, 2017 at Onitsha Sports Club in which Obi of Onitsha, Alfred, Nnaemeka Achebe, was inducted as the Grand Patron with awards conferred on several notable personalities and presentation of books written by Prof. Alex Ikeme and Dr. Rosemary Anazodo, both alumni of the institution.

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He further stated that after the “Founders Day” which set the association rolling for more successful outing, including “Prof Chike Obi Memorial Lecture” which he noted was a huge success.

He wondered why some people who had only served in the executives with him would turn round to claim to have formed a faction of the alumni association, accusing him of embezzling funds from the proceeds of the “Founders Day Celebration” when in reality he spent part of his personal money to offset pending bills which were owed to various stakeholders.

The embattled UNNAA branch chairman, however, revealed that the association was anxiously expecting a return of lasting peace at the national level, adding that it was awaiting the outcome of a committee set-up by the governing council of the university to look into the crisis rocking the association at the national level.

He, however, posited that Onitsha branch would stand by whatever resolution made by the committee and the governing council.