Why We Cancelled Ajuru University Employments – Fubara

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that the state government cancelled the employment of about 2,000 people by Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) because of gross irregularities discovered in the process.
The head of service, Dr. George Nwaeke, who stood in for the governor when those who were affected by the cancellation protested to Government House, Port Harcourt, however said government would revisit the process.
He said the government could not ignore the irregularities, which he said was intolerable, and had to cancel the entire employment process.
He said the management of the institution was directed, based on their request, to employ only 867 staff with 420 of such persons being academic staff, but regretted that the institution employed 1,900 persons with only 123 being academic staff, which was grossly unacceptable.
“Now, during the exercise, they brought the list of the number of people that were to be pay rolled. When we look at it, we saw that they have reduced every person as if they were casual workers, which the governor said no, it cannot be so.
“Meanwhile, when we also looked at it, the non-academic staff were now three times the approved number. The academic staff that were brought to us to pay were less than a hundred persons. Prima-facie, the main essence of university is teaching. So, we cannot do without lecturers.”
The head of service said the new governing council now in place would oversee the process and ensure elimination of the irregularities that hampered the previous process, assuring that government has not abandoned the process.
He urged the protesters to prepare themselves and look out for when the employment process would recommence.
“We have a limited number of people that we advertised to employ. But the institution went above that number and took more people. However, it is for you now to form yourselves into an organised group with a leadership, so, we can show you what we have.
“The best case scenario is that now, we have a governing council in place. I don’t know what their immediate plans are but I know that they need lecturers and non-academic staff. That is where we are going to start.
“There are many opportunities that will come to every Rivers person and all residents under this new government,” he assured.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr Valentine Kponi Barinedum, said they applied for the advertised positions, were duly interviewed, engaged and eventually worked for nine months.
“As Ignatius Ajuru staff, we are here today, we are crying to the governor. If he has said he is the governor of the people, he should make us feel his impact, call us back and pay us. And that is our sole demand.
“We also want our jobs back and our salaries paid. We are here today to plead with you to, please, consider us. We believe that you are going to do the right thing. Please, we are begging you, call us back and pay us our nine months,” he pleaded.