By: Sunday Nwakanma
A pressure group, Old Bende Young Professionals has threatened to physically occupy the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, until the promotion of their son, Dr Philips Nto, to a Professor is implemented by the Governing Council of the institution.
In a statement by the Chairman, Chima Ogbonna and the Secretary, Chief Dike Okwara, the group described the non-release of the promotion, which they alleged has been due since 2021, as a grave injustice and victimisation of Nto by the Chairman of the Governing Council of MOUAU, Fidelis Edeh.
They described it as “a collective insult and provocation against the people of Abia State for an Enugu indigene to come to the state to oppress an indigene of Abia State”.
The statement added, “The lamentation of our hardworking son over the unjust delay in releasing his promotion when his peers and even junior ones had been promoted to professors is heart-breaking and provocative. We couldn’t believe it that a man from Enugu State will come to Abia to oppress an indigene.”
They gave the Council Chairman an ultimatum to either approve or reject the promotion of Dr Philips Nto, at the next council meeting or face massive protest.
They disclosed that they were aware of people in MOUAU who were promoted to professors without even supervising any post graduate student while Nto, who has discharged his duties creditably, was being punished over the internal politics, maintaining that their extensive investigation revealed that Edeh is deliberately frustrating Nto out of personal bias, vendetta, and not because Dr. Nto lacks the required qualifications.
They described as ironical that while Abia staff in MOUAU had given Edeh the support he needed since he arrived MOUAU, he turned round to victimize one “of our brightest stars”, warning, “Dr Philips Nto is a prominent son of Abia who has served as a Commissioner and Provost of a school. We can’t stand by and watch anyone rubbish his unblemished career and reputation”.
