Over 153 lecturers relieved of their appointment by the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), management, have accused the authorities of engaging in “academic fraud”.
The lecturers told DAILY POST on Monday that their sack, which came few days after the Nigeria Universities Commission, NUC, accreditation, amounted to “use and dump.”
The aggrieved lecturers lamented that, “they used us to obtain accreditation from the NUC after which we have now been sent packing; this is academic fraud; they played tricks on the NUC.”
The dramatic dismissal, which also affected a Professor and a Reader, cuts across various departments in the University. No reason was, however, given in the disengagement letter.
In the letter signed by the University Registrar, Leonard Khama, and made available to our correspondent, the Registrar of ESUT stated, “I am directed to inform you and you are hereby informed that the University is presently not positioned to employ you.
“You should, therefore, handover any university property in your possession to the Head of Department. If, however, your services are required in the future by the University, you will be informed accordingly.”
However, briefing journalists in Enugu, some of the affected staff, who preferred to remain anonymous, lamented that they were not paid since they were employed in February this year.
They said, “In spite of the huge debts we have incurred in the process of living up to our responsibilities and keeping our jobs, no salary was paid to any of us.
“Our employment was as a result of acute shortage of staff that consistently denied ESUT the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation on different occasion. The fruit of our employment have been felt in the vacuum we filled in classes and other academic exercises but most evidently we were used to get full NUC accreditation for many departments in the university.”
The ex-staff, who spoke under the auspices of “Disengaged Members of Staff of ESUT” further noted, “Since our employment, we have discharged our academic duties diligently, which included lecturing, invigilating during examinations, marking of quiz and examinations scripts, and preparation of results, as well as taking active part in June 2015 accreditation exercise.”
Asked if they had made their grievances known to the state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the former staff of ESUT said they had written him on the matter but no response came from him.
When contacted, the ESUT Director for Public Affairs, Ossy Uwuoti said he would not comment on the matter, adding that he would first meet his principals for further details.
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