The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (ASUU MOUAU), on Tuesday demanded the cancellation of the scheduled Inaugural Lecture Series for the rest of 2024.
This includes the lecture dated April 30, 2024, in which R. N. Echebiri is listed as the 57th lecturer and is scheduled for December 11, 2024.
The union’s demand stems from its rejection of the award of “Professor” to the inaugural lecturer.
In a press release signed by the Chairman, Comrade M. C. Ugwuene, and the Secretary, Comrade C. E. Osodeke, dated December 10, 2024, the union advised the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, “to refrain from promoting this illegality within the university and from taking the university back to the era of impunity, thereby reminding the public of what MOUAU represented in the past.”
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ASUU MOUAU, in the statement titled “Intervention for Our Great Union Urgently Needed,” said:
“We write to draw your attention to an absurdity that requires the intervention of the Visitor to the University, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Minister of Education, and the general public to prevent a desecration of university laws and traditions.
“The attention of ASUU MOUAU has been drawn to the proposed schedule for the Inaugural Lecture Series for the rest of 2024, dated April 30, 2024, in which R. N. Echebiri is listed as the 57th lecturer and scheduled for December 11, 2024.”
According to the statement, “ASUU MOUAU wrote to the Vice Chancellor in a letter dated August 26, 2024, to remind him that Dr. R. N. Echebiri’s purported promotion to the rank of Professor is still in contention. ASUU MOUAU’s petition to the Visitation Panel against this promotion has been acknowledged in the White Paper for MOUAU, which states that due process was not followed.
“The promotion occurred during a period when impunity was rampant at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hilary Odo Edeoga, in a letter to the Governing Council (MOUAU/VC/158) dated March 24, 2014, attempted to justify his unilateral promotion of Dr. R. N. Echebiri to the rank of Professor without any assessments at the departmental or college levels.
“In light of this, the promotion of Dr. R. N. Echebiri is entirely fraudulent and fraught with unilateral breaches of the conditions of service for senior staff at MOUAU. The protest by ASUU MOUAU has been recorded in the White Paper (2011–2015) under Observations/Findings of wrongful recruitment, inappropriate promotions, and placements.”
The union, therefore, demanded the unconditional recall of Dr. Raphael N. Echebiri, who was on suspension, and called for the cancellation of his purported promotion to the rank of Professor.
“We demand that the inaugural lecture be canceled, and the Vice Chancellor of MOUAU refrain from promoting illegality within the university, taking the institution back to the era of impunity, and reminding the public of what MOUAU once represented.”
When contacted, the MOUAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, stated:
“A reaction is being circulated. Echebiri has no case to answer. The 7th University Council cleared his matter in April 2023. Revisiting it is an affront to university authorities.”
