Follow Us on Google
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has called for the reinstatement of its chairman at the Abia State College of Education Technical Arochukwu (ASCETA), Mr Kevin Egesi.
ASCETA had in a letter dated Dec. 19, 2022, and signed by Mr Ogbonnaya Njoku, attributed Egesi’s sack to a re-organisation in the institution.
But rising from its zonal delegates congress in Owerri at the weekend, the South East Zonal Coordinator of COEASU, Dr Churchill Okonkwo, who addressed newsmen in Owerri called for a reversal of the decision.
Okonkwo described Egesi’s sack as a “witch-hunt” because he was made the sole victim of the re-organisation carried out by the college.
He explained that the academic staff in the college were being owed over 27 months’ salary arrears in addition to being promoted without benefits.
“Up till now, the college is still on CONTISS when other colleges are now on CONPCASS and their promotions are quite irregular.
“The financial attachment to their promotion is almost non-existence at all. Sometimes they are promoted without benefits,” he said.
Okonkwo further claimed that the Provost of the college, Dr Philips Nto deducts between five to 15 per cent from the little salary being paid to academic staff on the pretext that it was used to cut grass.
“What the sacked chairman of COEASU in ASCETA was doing is what every chairman that is sympathetic to the chapter will always do to request that the arrears of salary be cleared.
“That was what Egesi and his executive were doing; fighting for the welfare of academic staff in the college, but the provost took it personal as if he was fighting a personal war with Egesi,” he said.
But dismissing the allegations however, the Provost of ASCETA, Dr Philips Nto said Egesi’s sack had nothing to do with the struggle for improved academic staff welfare and salary arrears.
He said “I do not think that the sack of Mr Egesi has anything to do with struggle for the academic staff welfare given that I am part of the welfare because I also earn salary.
“His sack was totally based on reorganisation that started two years ago of which tens of staff have been affected.
“Egesi happens to be one of them and the primary reason was because he was redundant,” the provost said.
