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Tony Icheku in Owerri

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) on Tuesday appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to intervene in the management crisis rocking Benjamin Uwajumogu State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma, threatening industrial action within two weeks if the crisis is not nipped in the bud

������Ƶ reports that the union and acting Provost of the College, Dr. Maryrose Nwachukwu, were currently engaged in a running battle, with the union accusing the provost of abuse of power and award of contracts without due process.

According to the College’s COEASU chapter Chairman, Comrade Wilson Amandi, and Secretary, Rev. Fr. (Comrade) Benedict Amuchie, the provost has been acting for 30 months, but only paid imprest for only five months to Directors, Deans, and Heads of Departments.

The union claimed that the directors, deans and HODs had been using personal funds for official purposes, including documentation and logistics for accreditation since March 2024 and had not been refunded despite several applications for refund.

The union further alleged that the provost procured items single-handedly and awarded TETFund contracts without Academic Deans and HODs’ involvement or recourse to due process.

The union alleged regarding the provost, “She awards TETFund contracts in the college without following the Procurement Act 2007 guidelines and has awarded over N1.5 billion contract without recourse to the Tender Board, which comprises academic deans and HODs.”

COEASU, in a statement, accused Nwachukwu of solely assessing TETFund for Microteaching laboratory equipment without the knowledge of HOD of that office.

It maintained that the TETFund projects executed under her watch were poorly designed, executed and did not follow the college’s development plan.

The statement read, in part, “The academic staff of the college are not considered in the scheme of activities in the college, including project monitoring activities, which she only monitors with TETFund team alone.

“The college’s neglect and abandonment of projects have made it unattractive to students.

“Rather than engage other management staff, the provost prefers only the services of the college acting registrar.” 

The COEASU leaders further accused the provost of terminating the acting bursar’s appointment without reason, forcing him to hand over to a new appointee.

It stated, “Without any known offence, report or directive from the governor, the provost wrote to the acting bursar to hand over to a new appointee from the Imo Ministry of Housing Corporation.

“The union reminded the provost that the college is autonomous and not part of the ministry and doesn’t accept staff from any ministry,

“Also, we reminded her that the acting bursar’s appointment was a political one by the Governing Council of the college on behalf of the Visitor of the college.

“In spite of our petitions, the provost not only forged ahead with the appointment, but forced the acting bursar to handover to the new bursar in a shocking manner that involved the police.

“Additionally, the provost does not have regards for the college’s organogram and has no respect for hierarchy in the college, as senior academic staff of the college are relegated and ignored in her administration.”

COEASU further stated that it wrote letters seeking the state government’s intervention through the Chief of Staff (General Services), Chief Ferdinard Uzodimma, but Nwachukwu ignored invitations to meet the governor’s aide.

“Following her failure to honour the invitation by the Chief of Staff (General Services) for possible resolution of the crisis, the union may be left with no other option than to embark on industrial action,” it threatened.

However, in her reaction, the provost described COEASU’s allegations as “baseless,” insisting that “all my actions are based on the directives of the state government”.

Nwachukwu told newsmen in a phone interview that the college, as a state-owned institution, got directives from the state government.

She stated, “I take orders from them and they direct me, especially on TETFund issues.

“The college and other tertiary institutions in the state work with the Special Adviser to the Governor on TETFund Intervention and other services.

“So, I would not know why someone would come out to say I do all the TETFund projects alone when I cannot do anything except the state government directs me.”

On the issue of the acting bursar that was removed, Nwachukwu said the college did not have a Governing Council, stating that the Hon. Commissioner oversees the affairs of the institution and as such has been on the matter.

“How can I be accused of removing an erring bursar, who went as far as sending threatening messages to me”? she asked.