Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) Enugu, has sacked 153 lecturers from its employment, reportedly after seven months without pay.

No official reasons were given for the sacking of the lecturers. Sources said that the dismissal, which also affected a professor and a reader, cut across various departments in the institution.

One of the sack letters signed by the Registrar of the university, Leonard Khama, and dated October 23, 2015, stated: “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.”

Briefing newsmen in Enugu, yesterday, on the development, some of the affected lecturers, who spoke under the aegis of the ‘Disengaged Members of Staff of ESUT’, noted their ugly experiences, saying that it was unjustifiable for the university to employ them in a bid to get accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) only to dismiss them after seven months without pay.

“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,” they said.

According to the lecturers, they were employed because of the consistent refusal of the NUC to accredit most courses in ESUT.

“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,” they added.

The ex-staff 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.”

On whether they had made their grievances known to the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, they said that they had written him on the matter but had not received his 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 speak as soon as he had consulted his principals on the issue.

•Adapted from a Vanguard report. Photo shows ESUT VC, Prof Luke O. Anike.

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