. . . Distributes bags of rice to mark Easter celebration

By CHARLES IWUOHA

A Non-governmental Organization, Imo State University Alumni Association (IMSUAA), Saturday called on the Federal Government to show honour and integrity by honoring the agreements it reached with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) concerning the funding and welfare of universities across the country.

Recall that following Federal Government’s inability to fulfill the agreements it reached with ASUU, the union is currently on an industrial strike as students are at home, waiting for the strike to be called off.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the Association’s First Quarter Meeting, which took place over the weekend at New Heaven Hotels, Abakaliki

The communique, which was signed by the National President and Secretary, Prince Ferdinard Ezeala Akano and Dr. Anayo C. Uhiara, respectively, and adopted and ratified by all Chapter delegates to the NEC meeting, noted that the opening of universities would “save our undergraduates the avoidable ordeals of remaining at home while, their counterparts world over are in schools receiving lectures and advancing in their development.”

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the association, which observed with dismay the lingering insecurity situation in Imo State, called “on government and relevant stakeholders to quickly address this ugly situation in order to secure lives and property of Imo citizens.”

The communique reads in part: “NEC members unanimously passed a Vote of implicit confidence on the leadership Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano, President of Imo State University Alumni Association and Dr. Anayo C. Uhiara, National Secretary;

“NEC applauds the appointment of Prof. U. U. Chukwumaeze, SAN as the Ag. Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Owerri; NEC resolves that the 5th Global Convention of Imo State University Alumni Association shall be held in Lagos from the 1st to the 4th of September, 2022; and hereby sets up a Global Convention Planning Committee;

“NEC resolves that the biennial National Executive Council elections of Imo State University Alumni Association shall be held on the first Saturday in November, 2022 and urges Chapters to conduct their various Chapter elections not later than 30th October, 2022; and shall announce the National Electoral Committee in the next few weeks;

“NEC mandates all adhoc Committees to submit their various Committee reports within the next two weeks; NEC resolves that the Association shall commence the street lighting initiative of the streets of Imo State University, in line with the appeal of the Ag. Vice Chancellor; and hereby calls on patriotic Alumni members to donate solar panels as their resources permit them;

“NEC welcomes the desire of the Ag. Vice Chancellor to broker a reconciliation between aggrieved parties in Imo State University Alumni Association; NEC applauds the courage of the leadership and membership of Ebonyj Chapter of Imo State University Alumni Association in their bold decision to align with the Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano-led mainstream Imo State University Alumni Association;

“NEC urges the Government of Imo State, the Senate and Governing Council of Imo State University to facilitate the election and emergence of a substantive Vice Chancellor of Imo State University Owerri, who has been a critical part of the Imo State University system;

“NEC observes the continued distraction of the IMSU Alumni leadership with avoidable litigation and petitions being championed by some disgruntled members, in collaboration with a splinter group of Alumni. NEC therefore, directs the leadership to use all legal means to counter all the mindless distractions as may be considered appropriate.”

In her remarks, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), and Pioneer Treasurer, IMUSAA, Ebonyi State Chapter, Ambassador (Mrs) Janerita Peters, fimpd, who thanked NEC for giving the Chapter the opportunity to host its first quarter meeting in Abakaliki, added that the Chapter would do better, if given another opportunity to host the National Executive Council of IMSUAA, in future.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank NEC for giving us the opportunity to organize this hosting. We see this as a rare privilege and that's why we decided to give it our best shot. In Ebonyi State Chapter, we don't only talk the talk, but also walk to talk.”

Highlights of the meeting include the distribution of bags of rice to all the NEC members of IMSUAA by Mrs Peters as a way of marking the Easter celebrations in the state.

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