By ANAYO OKOLI
ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), South East and South South zone has lashed at the chairman of the governing council of Anambra state university, Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi for allegedly working against the implementation of the ASUU/FG welfare package agreement in the university.

The union has also accused Amucheazi of instigating the sacking last week of the former vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Chukwenenye Anene because he was favourably disposed to the implementation of the agreement.

Rising from a meeting in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, ASUU vowed to ensure that Amucheazi, a staff of Abia State university, Uturu, which has agreed to implement the deal, does not enjoy the enhanced welfare package which is a fallout of the agreement.

Briefing journalists in Umuahia, chairman of the strike coordinating committee of ASUU in the zone, Dr. Emmanuel Osodeke commended the government of Abia, Ebonyi and Imo states for accepting to implement the agreement which led to the reopening of the universities in the three states.

He explained that with their reopening, the three universities have beaten JAMB deadline, so they can admit new students in through the next JAMB examination.

The union also attacked Rivers Government for not implementing the agreement and for threatening the lives of union leaders in its owned university and warned that “no amount of such threat will deter the union from fighting for the legitimate rights of its members”, and urged the Rivers State Government from “shying away from its responsibilities and implement the ASUU/FGN agreement for 2009 for sustainable and enduring development of education in the state”.

ASUU warned against politicizing the strike and the reason for it, warning that the cumulative effect of the poor funding of education was poor results by the students, even as it called on the governments of Rivers, Enugu, Anambra and Cross Rivers states “to immediately commence the implementation of the agreement in their universities in the interest of educational development in their states”.

According to its communiqué “the committee notes with concern, the activities of Prof. Elochukwu Amucheazi, the Pro-chancellor and chairman of governing council, Anambra State University towards resolving the crisis in the university. The union insists it will take legitimate steps to stop Prof. Amucheazi from benefitting from the proceeds of the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement as implemented in Abia State University where he doubles as Director, Centre for Igbo Studies”.