Rivers: Drama As Gov. Fubara Nullifies Wike’s Appointments Of Over 1,700 At IAUE

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Governor Siminialayi Fubara of Rivers State has caused a stir by nullifying a recent recruitment round at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Port Harcourt, which had been finalized by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

The recruitment process had resulted in the employment of over 1700 individuals who now find themselves in a state of uncertainty.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Delta Community Imposes N10,000 Fine, 40 Stroke For Ladies, Others Caught Dressing Indecently

• FG’s Borrowing Soars To N25.36tn From CBN In Q1 2023 – Reports

• Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With Oba Of Benin Emerge

The decision to cancel the hiring exercise was announced by Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom, the Commissioner for Education, who cited irregularities and the university management’s failure to comply with directives as reasons for the cancellation.

The abrupt move has triggered significant reactions among stakeholders. The Rivers Civil Society Organisations (RIVSCO) Chairman, Enerfaa Georgewill, expressed vindication, stating that the irregularities highlighted by the government had been raised by civil society during the initial exercise. However, Georgewill opposed the sweeping termination of appointments and suggested that a committee of competent individuals should be empanelled to review the process, retaining those with genuine qualifications and removing those who fall short.

The Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Darlington Nwauju, viewed the cancellation as evidence of deceit by the previous administration. He criticized the discontinuation of the recruitment, especially in a state with high unemployment rates, and questioned the authenticity of the claimed consolidation efforts.

The Coordinator of Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Zik Gbemre, acknowledged the bold move by Governor Fubara but questioned the punishment of innocent employees while the real offenders, the university management, seemed to be overlooked. Gbemre also called for a fair review of the process to avoid rendering individuals jobless after months of employment.

The government’s fiat comes with the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor (VC), Okechukwu Onuchukwu, who succeeded Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele, the VC responsible for the previous recruitment. Some have criticized Onuchukwu for allegedly instigating the nullification of the employment, although certain irregularities were reported to have occurred under his predecessor’s administration.

The IAUE, in a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar/Public Relations, Ngozi Okiridu, refuted claims that staff hired under Prof Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele were immediately fired upon Prof Onuchuku’s arrival. The university asserted that over 85% of those employed by Ndimele were still working at the institution.

FURTHER READING  

• Nigerian Air Force Plane Crashes In Makurdi

• JUST IN: Court Nullifies Arrest, Detention Of Suspended CBN Governor Emefiele By DSS

• BREAKING: EFCC’s Case Against Ex-Gov Rochas Okorocha Shoved In The Trashcan By The Court

Unfortunately, the affected employees, who had been working without pay for the past eight months, were about to receive their backlog of salaries when the government announced the cancellation of their appointments.

The situation has left both the affected individuals and the wider public anxiously awaiting the government’s next steps in conducting a credible and fair recruitment exercise at IAUE.

Click to watch our video of the week

---

Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:

Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.

Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.

Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611