The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Uyo Branch on Tuesday disbursed N1.7 million to 15 brilliant but indigent students of the institution.
The National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osadeke, said the gesture was to help push indigent students, who are brilliant in their respective faculties, to be able to complete their tertiary education.
Osadeke spoke during the disbursement of the grant and Heroes’ Day Celebration at the university.
He congratulated those who were considered worthy for the Heroes’ Day awards for being steadfast to the union, in spite of the difficulties confronting them.
He said that the award was an honour to all the past leaders of the branch for leading the union firmly through turbulent periods in the history of the branch
The ASUU boss expressed displeasure over how employment in the universities had turned into a “constituency project”, without regard to due process.
According to him, the illegal process has turned out to battle the university standard because most of the people employed have no business being in the system.
“I must heartily congratulate all the heroes honoured today for the sacrifices they made, including the termination of their appointments, seizure of salaries and demotion, among other travails, for speaking truth to power for the benefit of others.
“Before now, university employment was done through advertisement, followed by rigorous interviews before jobs were given.
“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 10 years that has advertised, but the staff strength has tripled.
“Vice Chancellors just sit down somewhere and pack people from traditional rulers, governors and all other politicians into the universities and most of them are now scavengers in the system going after money and all manner 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,” Osadeke said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the awardees included Prof. Desmond Wilson, Prof. Edet Akpan, Prof. Joshua Ushie, Prof. Aniesua Essiet, Prof. Ashong Ashong and Dr Etop Ndiyo.
NAN also reports that two students received N200,000 each, while 13 others got N100, 000 each.
In a keynote address, Wilson, a retired Professor of Ethnocomunicology, said the union’s struggles were made difficult by fifth columnists and other agents employed to cause confusion.
He urged all the members of the union to be selfless, committed and trusted for the betterment of all and the redemption of the Nigerian universities from destruction.
Responding on behalf of the recipients of the grant, Mr Friday Ekpo of the Faculty of Education thanked the union for bringing succour to indigent students of the school.
Ekpo said that the gesture would go a along way to ensure that they would complete their academic programmes in record time with less financial stress. (NAN). READ ALSO:
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