The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Delta State University (DELSU) branch Abraka, and the Delta State House of Assembly (DSHA) are at loggerheads.
While the DSHA has summoned the vice chancellor and the chairman, Governing Council of DELSU to appear before it for refusing to reinstate the dismissed president of DELSU ACADA Multipurpose Cooperative, Dr. Abel Ideh, ASUU has frowned at attempts by DSHA to meddle in the internal affairs of the institution.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday signed by Comrade Paul Opone, chairman and Comrade Festus Omosor, secretary, following a congress held in Abraka by the union on the same day, saying the autonomy of the university is sacred and must be protected.
The union strongly warned against any attempt by the vice chancellor and the chairman, Governing Council, to comply with the directives of the DSHA on this matter in the interest of industrial harmony.
The union also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to act on the petition submitted to it on the matter by the Interim Management Committee of the DELSU ACADA Multipurpose Cooperative since 2024 to help the cooperators recover their funds.
The union recalled that Ideh was found to have misappropriated the funds of the cooperative to the tune of over N300 million, leaving the cooperators stranded and traumatised, adding that some have died for not being able to recover their life savings.
“At the conclusion of the investigation, it was discovered that the president, Dr. Abel Ideh, misappropriated the cooperative fund using various fronts including companies registered in his name and those of his children.
“The Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (SSDC) established that the action of the Cooperative President, Dr. Abel Ideh, ‘amounts to engaging in scandalous and disgraceful conduct, prejudicial to the good name and reputation of the university and breach of section 44(4) (c) of the Delta State University Edit, 1998, and its terms and conditions of service.’
“On the basis of this, the SSDC recommended summary dismissal to the University Governing Council. After due consideration and given the overwhelming evidence of massive fraud, the council approved the recommendation of the SSDC. Consequently, Dr. Abel Ideh was summarily dismissed,” the statement said further.
According to the statement, “ASUU-DELSU is taken aback that the said Dr. Abel Ideh approached the DSHA for redress instead of approaching a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge his dismissal,” saying that “more worrisome is the fact that the DSHA is working hard to venerate such massive fraud and protect Ideh by directing the University Council to reverse itself and reinstate him.”
It said, “The action of DSHA is a clear violation, an affront and an attempt to erode the autonomy of the Delta State University, as it is a contravention of the law establishing the University which guarantees its autonomy.
“Additionally, the action of the Delta State House of Assembly is in contempt of the perpetual interlocutory injunction restraining the DSHA from meddling in the internal affairs of the DeIta State University as contained in Muoboghare vs Delta State House of Assembly, 2009, judgement.
“ASUU-DELSU wishes to enlighten the Delta State House of Assembly that the Governing Council of the Delta State University is the direct representative of the Visitor. Thus, decisions taken by the Governing Council are, by implication, the decisions of the Visitor.
“Therefore, directing the Governing Council to reverse itself and also summoning the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Council to appear before it on this matter challenges the authority of the Visitor, the Executive Governor of Delta State.
“Going by the law establishing the DELSU, it is only the Visitor, the Executive Governor of Delta State that is empowered to intervene in the internal affairs of the university through a visitation panel.” ASUU stated.
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