15th July, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Uneasy calm now pervades the Rumuolumeni campus of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, as detachments of Policemen have been deployed breakdown of law and order over sack of some workers of the institution.
This followed tension in the institution over fear of possible protest by thousands academic and nonacademic staff who were sacked by the Rivers state government on Thursday July 13, over alleged irregularities in their employment process.
It was gathered that the workers were employed last January.
The sacking of the newly staff was approved by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, according to a statement signed by the Professor Chinedu Nmom, Rivers Commissioner for Education last Thursday.
In the statement, Rivers State Government said it has observed with dismay the inconsistencies/irregularities and flagrant disobedience to its directives about the recruitment exercise at the Ignatius Ajuru University.
“Therefore, the recent employment exercise conducted by the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt is hereby cancelled .
“All appointment letters issued and received are hereby nullified and the affected persons are directed to return the letters to the office of the Registrar of the Institution. And other employment related properties such as, ID Cards in their possession to the office of the Head of Service, Rivers State immediately.”
The statement further said that “A proper and credible recruitment exercise shall be conducted in due course”.
However, the Acting Vice Chancellor,Prof. Okechukwu Onuchuku, had followed up the government’s directive last Friday with the sack of the Deputy Registrar of on Establishment of the institution, Emmanuel Kalagbor and Deputy Director of Information Computer Technology, ICT, Emmanuel Aburutou.
Our correspondent that there were posts on social media platforms in January that the university failed to follow all laid down regulations in its recruitment of academic and nonacademic staff.
Some applicants and staff of the school also described the recruitment as lopsided.
It was alleged that a greater percent of those employed were from Emohua, the Local Government Area of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Okechukwu Onochukwu and from other local governments populated by the Ikwerre ethnic nationality.
It was also gathered that candidate sponsored by some prominent individuals in the state, including a leading governorship candidate were rejected.
The aggrieved people expressed worry that jobs that are supposed to be for all people in Rivers were given to a particular ethnic group.
When contacted then public relations officer of the school, Dr. Ngozi Okiridu, a Deputy Registrar, dismissed the allegation of lopsidedness in the recruitment.
She claimed that merit was the main criteria used to select people employed during the recruitment.
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