The Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), has sacked 153 lecturers, including a professor and a reader.
One of the sack letters which was made available to Vanguard showed that it was signed by the Registrar of the university, Leonard Khama and dated Friday, October 23, 2015.
The letter read: “I am directed to inform you and you are hereby informed that the university is presently not positioned to employ you.
“You should, therefore, hand over any university property in your possession to the Head of Department. If, however, your services are required in the future by the university, you will be informed accordingly.”
Some of the sacked lecturers who spoke to journalists in Enugu on Monday, November 23, 2015 under the aegis of ‘Disengaged Members of Staff of ESUT,’ said their sack was not justified, accusing the university administration of employing them just to get accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) questioning why they were sacked only seven months after without pay.
The said: “In spite of the huge debts we have incurred in the process of living up to our responsibilities and keeping our jobs, no salary was paid to any of us between February and this month when we were employed.
“The fruit of our employment have been felt in the vacuum we filled in classes and other academic exercises, but most evidently ,we were used to get full NUC accreditation for many departments in the university.”
One of the sacked lecturers said: “Since our employment, we have discharged our academic duties diligently, which included lecturing, invigilating during examinations, marking of quizzes and examinations scripts, and preparation of results, as well as taking active part in June 2015 accreditation exercise.”
When asked if they had made complaints to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the lecturers replied affirmative, although they were yet to receive any response.
“The management of ESUT has decided to use the school as a fertile ground for politics as against an institution where teaching, and other academic functions thrive,” they added.
The ESUT Director for Public Affairs, Mr. Ossy Uwoti promised newsmen he would comment on the issue as soon as he had consulted his principals.
