By Daniel Dafe
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Delta State University Branch, Abraka, has frowned at attempts by the Delta State House of Assembly to meddle in the internal affairs of the institution, following the summon of the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council to appear before it for refusing to reinstate the dismissed President of DELSU ACADA Multipurpose Cooperative, Dr. Abel Ideh, saying the autonomy of the university is sacred and must be protected.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday signed by Comrade Paul Opone, Chairman and Comrade Festus Omosor, Secretary and made available to media houses, following a congress held in Abraka by the union same day.
The union recalled that Ideh was found to have misappropriated the funds of the Cooperative to the tune of over three hundred million naira, leaving the cooperators stranded and traumatised, adding that some have died for not being able to recover their life savings.
DELSU-ASUU also recalled that the cooperators formally protested to the University Administration against the Cooperative President, Dr. Abel Ideh, over the misappropriation of the Cooperative fund, calling on the University to address their welfare and the anomalies in the administration of the Cooperative.
Continuing, DELSU-ASUU said “The University Administration, enabled by relevant University regulations guiding staff conduct, set up an investigative committee on the 8th of August, 2022, to investigate the activities of the DELSU ACADA Multipurpose Cooperative over the years, determine its financial health and state of affairs, and make appropriate recommendations.”
Adding: “At the conclusion of the investigation, it was discovered that the President, Dr. Abel Ideh, misappropriated the Cooperative fund using various fronts including companies registered in his name and those of his children.”
Furthermore, the union said that “based on the findings of the investigative committee and relying on relevant University regulation, the University Administration, following due process, referred the matter to the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee (SSDC) for further necessary action.
“The SSDC established that the action of the Cooperative President, Dr. Abel Ideh, “amounts to engaging in scandalous and disgraceful conduct, prejudicial to the good name and reputation of the University and breach of section 44(4) (c) of the Delta State UJniversity Edit, 1998, and its terms and Conditions of service”.
“On the basis of this, the SSDC recommended summary dismissal to the University Governing Council. After due consideration and given the overwhelming evidence of massive fraud, the Council approved the recommendation of the SSDC. Consequently, Dr. Abel Ideh was summarily dismissed,” the statement said further.
According to the statement, “ASUU-DELSU is taken aback that the said Dr. Abel Ideh approached the Delta State House of Assembly for redress instead of approaching a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge his dismissal,” saying that “more worrisome is the fact that the Delta State House of Assembly is working hard to venerate such massive fraud and protect Dr. Abel Ideh by directing the University Council to reverse itself and reinstate him.”
The statement said further: “ASUU-DELSU hereby categorically states that the directive by the Delta State House of Assembly to reinstate Dr. Abel Ideh and the recent summon of the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council, Delta State University, is a clear violation, an affront, and an attempt to erode the autonomy of the Delta State University, as it is a contravention of the law establishing the University which guarantees its autonomy. Additionally, the action of the Delta State House of Assembly is in contempt of the perpetual interlocutory injunction restraining the Delta State House of Assembly from meddling in the internal affairs of the DeIta State University as contained in Muoboghare vs Delta State House of Assembly, 2009, judgement.
“ASUU-DELSU wishes to enlighten the Delta State House of Assembly that the Governing Council of the Delta State University is the direct representative of the Visitor. Thus, decisions taken by the Governing Council are, by implication, the decisions of the Visitor. Therefore, directing the Governing Council to reverse itself and also summoning the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Council to appear before it on this matter challenges the authority of the Visitor, the Executive Governor of Delta State.”
Meanwhile, the union said that “ASUU-DELSU states unequivocally that, going by the law establishing the Delta State University, it is only the Visitor, the Executive Governor of Delta State that is empowered to intervene in the internal affairs of the university through a visitation panel.”
Thus, ASUU-DELSU advised the Delta State House of Assembly to desist from meddling in the internal affairs of the Delta State University.
Furthermore, the Union strongly warned against any attempt by the Vice Chancellor and the Chairman, Governing Council, to comply with the directives of the Delta State House of Assembly on this matter in the interest of industrial harmony.
The union also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to act on the petition submitted to it on the matter by the Interim Management Committee of the DELSU ACADA Multipurpose Cooperative since 2024 to help the cooperators recover their funds.
