By CHIMEZIE ANASO

The Management of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam in Anambra has given the sacked members of staff to appeal the decision against them within one month.

Prof. Kate Omenugha, the Vice Chancellor of the University made the disclosure during an interaction with journalists in Igbariam on Thursday.

Recall that the University Council, last month, approved the sack of Profs Chike Osegbue, C. C. Nwabachili, Ifeoma Kakulu, Dr I. H. Iheukwumere and Mr Emeka Nwabunnia, of the Department of Microbiology for various reasons.

Omenugha said the lecturers were sacked for various offences including sexual exploitation of students and ethical misconduct.

The Vice Chancellor added that due process was followed before the university council reached the decision.

On the sack of Prof. Osegbue, Omenugha said it had no connection with his participation in Vice Chancellor selection process but purely for not teaching a postgraduate course assigned to him and refusal to appear before a panel instituted on the matter.

She said she was not bothered by the court process instituted by Osegbue over the matter adding that she did not deserve to be vilified for taking the hard but inevitable decision.

Omenugha said there was no truth in what she considered a coordinated media attack on her person before and after her appointment as Vice Chancellor, noting that she would not be distracted in her mission to reposition the institution.

The Vice Chancellor said she came with the mission to give COOU viability, positive visibility and value re-engineering.

She said she was eminently qualified to be VC having been the second female Professor of Mass Communication in Nigeria, eight years as commissioner of education, six years as Head of Department of Mass Communication in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, international consultant among others.

Omenugha said her administration was facing the landscape of the school with a leisure park, economic tree orchard and pursuing the target of planting one million trees in five years to create a conducive and ecologically friendly environment.

She expressed worry about the security around the University host community and urged people to support the institution with construction of hostel accommodation to encourage on-campus residence among students.

She appreciated Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for investing in the institution especially the infrastructure turnaround at the Uli campus of the University. (NAN)

Update news