From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
As the crisis in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) chapter lingers,the State Executive Council on Wednesday explained reasons behind the suspension of the Owerri zone executive members of the union led by Chinedu Ihejirika.
Addressing a press conference at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife of FUTO,acting chairperson of ASUU FUTO,comrade Frank Ojiako said the Owerri branch of the Union was suspended on offences ranging from alleged financial recklessness, repeated betrayal of ASUU FUTO Congress decisions ,campaign of calumny on the State exco among others.
Ojiako said “Failure by the suspended exco to present financial reports to the Congress for almost two years as against the constitutional stipulation of quarterly presentations. This is a serious constitutional breach that is both reprehensible and unacceptable.
” The treasurer of the union is the principal signatory to the ASUU FUTO bank accounts ,it is a constitutional requirement that in the unforseen absence of the treasurer ,Congress should be convened to elect a new treasurer.
“The chairperson of the suspended exco has been unable to conduct election to fill the vacant position of the office treasurer of the union who has been on leave of absence to the United States for the past one year.
” In order to restore normalcy and safeguard our common patrimony ,it therefore became necessary that the ASUU exco ,as then constituted should be constitutionally jettisoned ,having outlived its usefulness”. Ojiako alleges
An interim exco for the Owerri zone, Ojiako informed has been appointed.
