₦airaland Forum

When the Vice Chancellor of Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) started saying to the hearing of the institution's staff that he was getting upset for not being able to employ people from his hometown after few months as VC, people thought it was a mere verbosity. Who could have imagined it was the beginning of the plan to destabilize the university community by a VC who was only one year and four months in that position?

Should I say that since the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the country has been a jungle of the prey and the predator? This is being played out in MOUAU. At his assumption of office as the Vice Chancellor in March 1, 2016, Prof. Ogbonnaya Otunta declared the regularization interview conducted by the school management inconclussive, and by extension, null and void. He further directed them to re-apply as new job seekers. Not satisfied, he set up a committee to fast track his anti people's agenda. The fault finding committee of Prof. Otunta had a mandate to "look into the credentials" of the over 400 affected staff.

The professor was in a haste to cause injury. As the committee was still working on it's mandate, President Buhari’s government disolved some Federal Universities' Governing Councils and appointed new council members. It seems a deal was struck, and the newly constituted council hurriedly fixed an emergency meeting which obviously was their first meeting. In the meeting, the VC presented his victimization plan to them and, as can obviously be observed, the council fail to achieve any other thing apart from the endorsement of Prof. Otunta's agenda.

Some may argue that his action of sacking the staff could be that the institution was over staffed. But no. That could not be the reason for his action when in just one year and four months as the VC, he has employed many believed to be "his own people". It is a display of chronic nepotism for the VC to also employ his wife while he was busy perfecting the sack of such number of people whose means of livelihood is the work. His body language still speaks loud; he would triple whatever number he has engaged to replace the victims from his cronies, probably after he would have succeeded in disengaging his preys who eventually are not 'his own people'. Where was the job advertised before his wife got employed? He gave his in-law the contract to construct some security posts and fence. Where was the contract advertised and who bidded for it?

It is disheartening that the new governing council upheld this Prof. Ogbonnaya's vendetta against the masses without asking questions, and they went ahead to issue an unpopular report. What should baffle every right thinking person is how a new governing council will have its first meeting to be an emergency meeting held on June 21 , 2017 and in it, the only thing they could achieve was to pass a verdict that over 400 staff should be sacked. The sack letter was alleged to have been typed on a Saturday and the termination took effect from June 30, 2017. Just within one week, every damage was hurriedly done. Neither the report nor the sack letter made mention of the affected staff's outstanding 25% arrears.

Again, it is very grotesque that the MOUAU's VC, Prof. Ogbonnaya has this antecedent of sacking staff enmass. He was alleged to have done the same in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State where over 300 staff were affected. Believably, the VC derives joy from others' agony. Taking this kind of destructive action without considering the multiplier effect is worrisome. The most worrying aspect of this remains that this victimization is not only going to affect the over 400 staff directly involved, but also their dependents. No doubt, this singular action of the VC is going to affect over 10,000 Nigerians. Such a gruesome act!!!
This victimizer, Prof. Francis Ogbonnaya Otunta is on a parrade again. Somebody should stop him now before it is late.

Duke Imandu
Is a concerned citizen.

The embattled Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Professor Francis Otunta is again under the searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC over questionable movement of funds in his personal account.

The Educator. Investigation reveals that following the release of N1 billion meant for settlement of certain category of MOUAU staff salaries, over N16 million was traced to the account of Prof. Otunta.

It would be recalled that Otunta since assumption of office has embarked on what employees of the university described as a witch-hunt of staff employed by his predecessor, Prof Hilary Edeoga.
It would also be recalled that Otunta placed about 440 staff of the school on suspension without pay before their appointment were finally terminated.
The Educator, however gathered that the remuneration of the suspended employees had already been captured in the 2017 budget of the school and thus the recent release of N1 billion meant for the settlement of their salaries.

However, since they had already been terminated, a clique running affairs in the school allegedly shared the fund amongst themselves.
It could not be immediately confirmed whether Otunta approved the action as he has been on sick leave. However it was gathered that hours after the decision to share was made, the sum of N16 million was transferred to Otunta's account from the account of a female staff in his office. The amount was reported first transferred to her account in a micro-finance bank before she transferred same to Otunta's account.
The female staff, (names withheld) was one of the employees recruited by Otunta after assumption of office.
EFCC was reportedly alerted over the transaction by one of the aggrieved sacked employees, but sources at the anti-graft Commission refused to comment on the development when their reaction was sought.
The unfolding controversy of staff recruitment at MOUAU is still unfolding as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the University recently called for a Presidential Visitation Panel to conduct “a forensic staff and financial audit” in the institution.
The call contained in a statement signed by its Chairperson, Prof. Chinyere Echendu, and the Secretary, Dr Francis Nkaa.

Otunta had variously been named in various financial malfeasances by various interest groups associated with the university.

Officials from the Vice-Chancellor's office refused to react. They excused themselves explaining that it was a weekend, their off duty days