Lecturers protest against government’s order to re-apply for employment

• Varsity honours dead minister, Ocholi
• UNIBEN VC pledges more projects

Lecturers at the Tayo Akpata University, formerly College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo State at the weekend protested against the state government’s directive asking them to re-apply for employment in the institution.

They described the order as a plan to sack them.The government recently upgraded the institution to a university and asked the lecturers to re-apply for employment.

The lecturers under the aegis of the College of Education Association Staff Union (COEASU) also urged the sacking of the Chairman, Governing Council, Thomas Okosun and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aduwa Ogiegban over alleged corrupt practices and extortion. They are accused of demanding between N250,000 and N300,000 from applicants seeking employment in the institution.

The Chairman, Academic Union of COEASU, Fred Omonuwa flayed the management for conducting an interview for fresh applicants while it is owing several months of salary arrears of the workers.

Meanwhile, the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) at the weekend honoured the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Enejo Ocholi with a posthumous honorary doctor of law.

Ocholi was honoured at the maiden convocation of the institution where 15 students graduated with a first class. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Angela Freeman Miri said the institution was graduating 201 students. Fifteen graduated with first class honours ‎, 76 with second class (upper) division, 90 with second class (lower division) and 24 with third class degrees.

She said apart from the posthumous award for the late Ocholi,‎ seven other personalities who contributed to the development of the university were also recognised.

In another development, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, has said that the institution would continue to provide the enabling environment for academic activities.

Orumwense spoke during the commissioning of the ultra-modern twin lecture hall theatre at the Faculty of Life Sciences. The facility was commissioned by the Chancellor of the institution, the Mai Martaba Sarkin Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II.