Gov sacks Benue varsity board as lecturers down tools

Governor Hyacinth Alia has dissolved the Governing Board of Benue State University (BSU), which was headed by Sebastian Tar Hon, and constituted a seven-man visitation panel to be chaired by Prof. Gabriel Moti.

This followed the industrial action by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), BSU chapter, over the weekend.

A letter conveying the Visitor’s decision and signed by Secretary to the Government (SSG), Prof. Joseph Alakali, mandated the panel to thoroughly audit activities of the university from 2016, when the last panel visited.

The panel is also to comprehensively investigate activities at the institution and report back accordingly for necessary action.

ASUU chairman at BSU, Dr. Victor Tarnongu, told The Guardian that the lecturers had not yet embarked on strike, but only “downed tools” pending approval from the national secretariat of the union for industrial action.

The ASUU chairman said the strike became necessary “because of the salaries owed them.”

Tarnongu said the lecturers were highly skilled personnel, who could easily get jobs elsewhere, but decided to stay and contribute their quota to the state, and as such do not deserve the “shabby treatment meted out to them,” noting that the last time they received salaries was March.

Other members of the panel are Prof. Kwaghkondo Agber, Prof. Christie Ekoja, Prof. Okpe Okpe, Igyeigye Peter and Sam Yuhwa.