ASUU-UUB gifts 15 UNIUYO students N1.7m for academic excellence

Ini Billie, Uyo

Fifteen indigent students of the University of Uyo have received a total of N1.7 million for academic excellence.

The students received the award donated by the ASUU-UUB scholarship scheme during the Heroes’ Day Celebration of the University of Uyo held at the 1000-seater TETFund Auditorium, main campus of the institution in Uyo Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday.

Speaking during the award, ASUU Acting Chairperson, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide said the gesture was to encourage brilliant students and help them finish their course of study in their respective faculties.

In his response, one of the beneficiaries of the ASUU-UUB scholarship award, Mr. Ekpo Friday, of the Faculty of Education commended the union for the idea of bringing succour to the indigent students of the institution.

Friday said the gesture was a morale booster for them to concentrate on their studies and finish their University Education with good grades.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) also conferred a heroes’ award on its past leaders who led the union through turbulent periods in the history of the branch.

Those honoured for their selfless service include Dr Etop Ndiyo, Prof. Desmond Wilson, Prof. Edet Akpan, Prof. Joseph Ushie, Prof. Aniesua Essiet and Prof. Ashong Ashong.

Meanwhile, ASUU has vowed to tackle the abnormalities experienced in the employment of university staff.

National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osadeke said it would fight the misnomer in the system where Vice Chancellors of Universities have abandoned due process in the recruitment of staff into the system.

Osadeke who alleged that the VCs have turned the exercise into constituency projects, said the union would ensure that sanity is restored to the system.

He lamented that no University in the country has advertised for vacancies in the past six to ten years, yet the staff strength of such universities has tripled as vice-chancellors have resorted to employing all manners of people from governors and Senators to lecturers.

“I must heartily congratulate all the heroes honoured today for the sacrifices they made to the point of termination of appointments, seizure of salaries, demotion among other travails for speaking truth to powers for the benefit of others.

“Before now, University employment was done through advertisement followed by rigorous interviews but now how do people get here? It is through temporary appointments. That’s the problem that we have today. I do not know of any University for the past six to ten years that has advertised, but the staff strength has tripled.

“Vice-Chancellors just sat down somewhere and packed people from Traditional Rulers, Governors, and all other politicians into the Nigerian Universities as lecturers and most of them are now scavengers in the system, going after money and all manners of things.

“Unfortunately, University employment has turned into a constituency project and we have to struggle to reverse this misnomer and bring sanity to the system,” he stated.

In his keynote address, retired Professor of Ethnomusicology, Prof. Desmond Wilson, lamented that the struggles of the union have been made difficult by fifth columnists and other agents employed by the government to confuse.

Stressing that heroism was not a blank cheque to misbehaviour, Wilson urged all members of the union to remain selfless and committed in the fight for the betterment of all and the redemption of Nigerian Universities from its quagmires.

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of UNIUYO, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, who was represented by Prof. Ben Etuk, commended ASUU for its selfless service to humanity.

Ndaeyo said the role played by the union has contributed immensely to better welfare among the university staff and urged the association to remain strong.