The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Federal University of Technology Owerri

  • FUTO SSANU protests unpaid allowances

    The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Monday joined the three-day national protest in line with the directive of the national leadership of the Union.

    The aggrieved Staff, deplored the Federal Government over non-payment of their earned allowances, refusal to abide by the Court ruling which reinstated the Universities schools that were sacked and show of apathy in implementing the Memoranda of Understanding reached with the Union.

    Displaying placards with various inscriptions such as “SSANU says no to injustice on staff issue’’, “FGN must obey Court Order on staff issues and comply’’, “Pay us our earned allowances now FGN”, the protesters noted that “members of the staff domiciled in University Staff schools have been subjected to trauma, insecurity and denials of salaries”, a situation they said the Union cannot continue to accept.

    Addressing journalists, the branch Chairman of SSANU, Comrade Franklin Matthews, said that their protest followed the resolution reached at the National Executive Council 35 meeting held at Enugu State University, which directed all the branch Chairmen to organize a three day national protest across the country.

    He said that the meeting reviewed the various status of the MOUs signed between the Federal Government and the Union in respect to the actualization of the 2009 agreement reached with the Federal Government

    Marthews condemned the continued delay in the payment of the earned allowances to non-teaching staff of universities by the Federal Ministry of Education after an approval has been made following the demand of the template for the payment to the unions

    While describing the letter sent to the unions as a delay tactics by the Federal Ministry of Education, he maintained that the letters are needless “because the unions had always made their positions known since the irregular disbursement of the N23b to ASSU in 2017”.

    The SSANU Chairman regretted that the delay in the payment has become a source of discomfort and embarrassment to members of the Union.

    He condemned the failure of the Federal Government to reinstate their staff who were disengaged despite the ruling by the National Industrial Court on December, 5th 2016

    The branch Treasurer of the union, Comrade Uchenna Nwokeji, in his contribution, lamented the present condition of the affected Staff that are yet to be reinstated by some Universities.

    Decrying the poor state of infrastructures in the Universities, Nwokeji,  called on the Federal Government to monitor how funds allocated to Universities are expended to ensure that the funds are properly utilized.

  • FUTO SSANU protests unpaid allowances

    The Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Monday joined the three-day national protest in line with the directive of the national leadership of the Union.

    The aggrieved Staff, deplored the Federal Government over non-payment of their earned allowances, refusal to abide by the Court ruling which reinstated the Universities schools that were sacked and show of apathy in implementing the Memoranda of Understanding reached with the Union.

    Displaying placards with various inscriptions such as “SSANU says no to injustice on staff issue’’, “FGN must obey Court Order on staff issues and comply’’, “Pay us our earned allowances now FGN”, the protesters noted that “members of the staff domiciled in University Staff schools have been subjected to trauma, insecurity and denials of salaries”, a situation they said the Union cannot continue to accept.

    Addressing journalists, the branch Chairman of SSANU, Comrade Franklin Matthews, said that their protest followed the resolution reached at the National Executive Council 35 meeting held at Enugu State University, which directed all the branch Chairmen to organize a three day national protest across the country.

    He said that the meeting reviewed the various status of the MOUs signed between the Federal Government and the Union in respect to the actualization of the 2009 agreement reached with the Federal Government

    Marthews condemned the continued delay in the payment of the earned allowances to non-teaching staff of universities by the Federal Ministry of Education after an approval has been made following the demand of the template for the payment to the unions

    While describing the letter sent to the unions as a delay tactics by the Federal Ministry of Education, he maintained that the letters are needless “because the unions had always made their positions known since the irregular disbursement of the N23b to ASSU in 2017”.

    The SSANU Chairman regretted that the delay in the payment has become a source of discomfort and embarrassment to members of the Union.

    He condemned the failure of the Federal Government to reinstate their staff who were disengaged despite the ruling by the National Industrial Court on December, 5th 2016

    The branch Treasurer of the union, Comrade Uchenna Nwokeji, in his contribution, lamented the present condition of the affected Staff that are yet to be reinstated by some Universities.

    Decrying the poor state of infrastructures in the Universities, Nwokeji,  called on the Federal Government to monitor how funds allocated to Universities are expended to ensure that the funds are properly utilized.

  • Fury of host communities

    Amid despair following an attack on the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), President Muhammadu Buhari has warned such invaders of severe consequences, reports OKODILI NDIDI

    It is foolhardiness for a host to harm his guest. This is an ageless African adage that buttresses the brotherliness and friendship that define host-guest relationship. Your guest is your brother and should be protected and given the best treatment, especially when he behaves himself and keeps to the host’s etiquette.

    This wise counsel was jettisoned by the host communities to the nation’s premier university of technology, the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) when they invaded the school in the dead of night and unleashed such wanton destruction as stunned the institution’s management, students and other people of good conscience.

    The marauders demolished the newly erected perimeter fence of the university measuring over 1.5km, valued at N60 million.

    The incident has thrown the university community into fear of further attacks from the host communities.

    The bickering between the university and the host communities including Ihiagwa, Obinze, Umuanunu, Eziobodo and Avu did not start today. They have been locked in fierce dispute over the university land which was duly acquired with full compensations paid by the Federal Government but which the community is laying claim to.

    The host communities despite all efforts by the university management to resolve the matter have continued to encroach on the expansive land, selling and building houses on plots designated for academic projects.

    To forestall this ugly trend, the management painstakingly commenced the perimeter fencing of the entire university land. The labourers worked day and night and the walls grew taller each day as if it sprouted from the ground. But just when the university was about consolidating the new sense of security occasioned by the high walls, it came crashing. And what used to be an impregnable and imposing wall was reduced to ruins in one night of mindless destruction.

    Briefing journalists before the latest invasion of the university by hoodlums, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Francis Eze, had lamented that the university is under serious threat over the criminal activities of land speculators who have invaded the institution’s land.

    He disclosed that the encroach-ment on the university land by unauthorised land grabbers poses serious danger to lives and property of the management and students, as well as the corporate existence of the institution.

    Prof Eze pointed out that the forceful takeover of the institution’s land by the speculators recently assumed a dangerous dimension with the pulling down of the exit gate and the security house by the invaders.

    He said, “The university duly acquired the land in compliance with laid down procedures including the full payment of all settlements to the host communities. But the recent encroachment on the University land is so overwhelming that you can call it invasion”.

    He, however, warned, saying, “All those patronising land speculators and buying FUTO land and building on the land will lose their money as the buildings will be demolished”.

    Eze stated that the management of the University has started perimeter fencing of the University, “We have started the perimeter fencing of the University at a huge cost just to protect the land. Last time some group of persons brought heavy equipment and brought down our gatehouse; it is that bad but we will no longer allow that. All those buying and building on FUTO land are doing so at their own risk”.

    The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the University has been up and doing in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility by engaging in medical outreaches for the host communities, as well as providing jobs and admissions for qualified students from the communities.

    He also hinted that another major worry for the university is the activities of illegal miners that have been mining sand under the foot of the bridge in the school premises.

    “If nothing is done about the menace of the sand miners, this bridge built at a huge cost will collapse one day,” he said.

    Also at different occasions, the youths from the host communities have disrupted ongoing projects in the university to demand illegal payments from contractors and the school management.

    Meanwhile one of the leaders of the host communities, who didn’t want his name in print, said that the land was acquired at a time the people were yet to appreciate the value of such expanse of land.

    He said, “We have lost all our ancestral lands to the university. We don’t even have any land left to farm on, so what we are saying is that the university cannot acquire our whole land, we need to renegotiate, that’s all we are demanding”.

    Amid the gloom in the university community, some hope has come from the highest office in the land. President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that invasion of institutions of higher learning will no longer be tolerated.

    He also directed security agencies to go after the invaders and bring them to justice.

    The president was speaking at the 30th convocation of the university at the weekend where he was represented by the Minister of State for Education Prof Anthony Anwuka.

     

  • NDDC to support universities in Niger Delta region – Ndoma-Egba

    NDDC to support universities in Niger Delta region – Ndoma-Egba

    The Chairman Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, has expressed the willingness of the Commission to support Universities in the region.

    Ndoma-Egba said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by Mrs Clara Braide, Special Adviser Communication to the Chairman, NDDC.

    Braide quoted the NDDC Chairman when the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, (FUTO), Prof. John Offem led a delegation of the 11th Governing Council of the University to visit the NDDC Office in Abuja.

    The NDDC boss congratulated the Pro Chancellor and Members of his Council on their appointment into the Governing Board of FUTO, while commending the University for producing well trained graduates who are doing very well in their various professional fields.

    “NDDC is giving special attention to Universities in the Member States of the region because we believe that well educated and empowered youths are the real resource of the nation and not oil.

    “Technology is a key driver of any economy.

    Oil is a finite resource, which might either dry up someday or made irrelevant by technology.

    We must, therefore, begin to look at an economy outside oil,” he emphasised.

    Ndoma-Egba further assured the delegation of the commitment of NDDC Board and Management to change the economic fortunes of the region by undertaking youth oriented projects that would create jobs for the people of the Region.

    He intimated the delegation of the commission’s plans to ring the region with Fibre Optics which would provide internet penetration and access across the entire Niger Delta Region.

    According to him, Internet connectivity is a catalyst to development.

    “Bill Gates, Zuckerberg founder of Facebook, and Steve Jobs are very good examples of youths who never had formal education, but through technology and creativity have made a huge difference in the world.

    “Similar creative and innovative minds that could drive technology could also be found in Abia, Imo and indeed other parts of the region, ” he said.

    Ndoma-Egba expressed the willingness of the Commission to collaborate with FUTO to jump start the process of adding more value to all Universities in the region and the Academic Community.

    Earlier, Offem said that FUTO is one of the Specialised Universities established by the Federal Government in 1980 to produce skilled manpower with strong Technological base to facilitate development of the country.

    He said the University has grown to become a leading supplier of skilled manpower to the Nigerian labour market, especially in the oil and gas, transportation and telecommunications as well as information technology sectors of the economy.

    The Pro Chancellor solicited the support of NDDC in undertaking various infrastructural Projects, particularly the construction of perimeter fencing to secure the University from encroachment by their neighboring Communities, illegal entry and other activities by undesirable elements