Over 1000 alumni of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), on Tuesday, took to the street to protest alleged imposition of a candidate, Chukwuemeka Udoh, in the convocation election of the University by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Polycarp Chigbu.
The placard-carrying protesters while addressing newsmen at the Total Roundabout in the university town of Nsukka, Enugu State stated that the mother of all protest will start on Thursday and would be marathon until the Prof. Chigbu corrects the abuse of power being orchestrated in the University.
One of the protesters who identified himself as Clinton Ogbonna, rejected what he called “imposition of Engr. Chukwuemeka Udoh” as the convocation representative in the Governing Council of the University by the Acting Vice Chancellor.
While calling for proper convocation election where all the candidates will be given level-playing field, he called on the Pro-Chancellor of the University, General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), to save the University of the impending crisis by calling the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution to order.
He further stated that UNN should be seen at all times as breeding ground for genuine leaders and not a haven for the power-drunks who manipulate their ways to power at the detriment of the mandate of the people.
He also called for the cancellation of the shambolic convocation representative election in the University, insisting that the election neither held online nor physically.
Another protester, Bonaventure Omego, equally called for due process in the election where the standing orders of the University would be respected and followed religiously.
He further asked the kangaroo ICT firm contracted for the election to back off, stating that online voting and registration were not contained in the standing orders of the University.
Some of the placards read “UNN Alumni say no to abuse of power; UNN Alumni reject manipulation called convocation election by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Polycarp Chigbu; we say no to imposition among others.
It was gathered that the convocation members, and alumni of the University had earlier written a petition to the Pro-Chancellor of the University, alleging that Prof. Chigbu, unilaterally and illegally truncated and altered the procedures for the election of convocation representative in the Governing Council of the University without due recourse to the laws and standing orders of the convocation of the institution.
In a seven-paged petition endorsed by the members of the convocation, the petitioners called on the Pro-Chancellor, to set aside the unilateral amendment of renewal of membership and voting procedures for the election of convocation representative as allegedly foisted on the university by the Acting Vice Chancellor.
They equally asked that the illegal publications of November 19 and 20, 2024 which contravene the standing orders of the convocation be withdrawn and declared null and void, and that the Acting Vice Chancellor should be advised to refrain from the alleged illegality and abuse of power currently enveloping the convocation election in the University.
The petitioners equally called on the Pro-Chancellor to ensure that the procedures for the election as contained in the publication of November 7, 2024 which is inline with the law and standing orders of the University should be allowed to subsist, urging anyone who wishes to amend the standing orders of the convocation to follow the guidelines as outlined in section 22 of the orders.
