Dr Philips Nto, the Director of Agribusiness Incubation Centre, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) has faulted the position of the local chapter of ASUU over his promotion delay by the institution.
Nto faulted the union in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday in Umuahia.
He stated that the position of ASUU that he was not qualified to be made a professor on the account of the 2017 staff condition of service was based on ignorance, pettiness, and nepotism.
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Nto has been fighting for the release of his promotion to the rank of Professor since 2021.
He stated that his leave of absence was based on the 2003 staff condition of service, which was renewed after every year.
He wondered whether the new law was made to apply retroactively to him alone.
The lecturer described the local chapter of ASUU as a wicked and manipulative tool in the hands of the Pro Chancellor, Mr Fidelis Edeh.
Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Abia,
accused them of being errand boys in an orchestrated vendetta against him by Edeh.
He wondered how the ASUU Chairman would be more knowledgeable than the university’s lawyer who had given his legal opinion that the 2017 condition of service can not apply retroactively to his case.
Nto also addressed the accusation that he wants to jump from the position of a senior lecturer to professor without first being promoted to the rank of an associate professor.
According to him, contrary to their submission, he was assessed both as an associate professor and that of a professor, after which the files were submitted separately.
He said that such a practice was not alien in the university system and that the Council was expected to attend to them separately on their merits.
He said it was rather baffling that after sitting for 10 consecutive times, the council could not reject or approve his promotion.
Nto explained that it was for that reason that he decided to appeal to President Bola Tinubu for his intervention since all internal mechanism are exhausted.
He accused Edeh of personal vendetta against him, so much so that after the Council’s committee recommended his promotion, the Chairman sat on it, citing all manner of excuses.
He submitted that the local chapter of ASUU should stop the dissipation of energy in witch-hunting members.
Nto advised the group to support the new National President of ASUU who has achieved in two months what they could not achieve in eight years.
He called on the national leadership to investigate what he described as an unholy alliance between the local chapter and Edeh.
He accused ASUU MOUAU of bias by being particular about his case out of envy.
The lecturer challenged the executive to an open debate on why he should not be promoted to the rank of a professor with effect from 2021.
He said those arguing blindly that he ought not to have been engaged in academic activities while on leave of absence should also be prepared to cancel the accreditation, and certificates of those he supervised and taught during the period.
He reiterated his call for the Governing Council Chairman to either approve or reject his promotion with clearly stated reasons.
