joshuaWe Never Received, Disobeyed GOV. Obaseki Over Reinstatement of Disengaged STAFF’ – AAU FORMER ACTING VC,
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The immediate past Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Professor Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, has reacted to claims that his management received directives from the former Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to reinstate the two staff members disengaged by the defunct Special Intervention Team (SIT) but did not implement them.
Professor Adagbonyin made the rebuttal Friday while responding to a publication by an online blog, Spark News Naija, entitled “Reinstatement of Sacked Lecturers: Governor Okpebholo’s Stance is Unassailable” credited to one Nosa Ekhator.
In the said report, Nosa Ekhator quoted the Principal Assistant Registrar and Head of Information, Public Relations, and Protocol of Ambrose Alli University, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, as saying that the directives to reinstate the two lecturers who were disengaged by the Special Intervention Team (SIT) during the tenure of Governor Godwin Obaseki, were issued to the University Management by the former Governor but were never implemented “due to a lack of political will.”
Professor Adagbonyin stated that while he would choose to reserve his comments on the many issues surrounding the SIT’s disengagement of the two staff members, it would, however, be proper to correct the wrong impression that the fate of the two disengaged staff lay in the hands of the University management.
“The business of hiring, firing, and recalling of workers did not (and does not) lie in the hands of the University management but that of the Governing Council, and in this circumstance the Special Intervention Team (SIT), which had relieved the staff of their appointments ab initio as their letters of disengagement clearly stated.”
Professor Adagbonyin asserted that notwithstanding this, he was unaware of any directive subsequently issued to his Management by the Governor or the SIT, beyond the release made on social media and the pages of newspapers by the former Governor’s Special Adviser on Media Projects, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, which had impetuously condemned the action of the SIT at the time.
“But we all heard what the Governor said when he responded to calls that he rescinds the disengagement of the staff at his visit to the University on March 16th, 2023, days after Mr. Crusoe made the press release. I did not hear the Governor giving Management any specific directive to reinstate the staff.
Just like he spoke about the winding up of the activities of the SIT within the next 90 days, he stated categorically that it would not be possible to rescind the decision of the SIT on the two staff without having the details of why the SIT took the decision in the first place. In his words, ‘I don’t think that is the right way to govern.’ Note that he subsequently set up a committee.”
Professor Adagbonyin said he would be interested in seeing the memo (if indeed there was one, beyond the rhetorics and the press statement), either from the Governor or the SIT, that directed his Management to recall the sacked staff. He said he was also keen on seeing someone come forward with details of the sanctions his management received for their “lack of a political will” to carry out the Governor’s directives, as it is impossible to flout a Governor’s directives without sanctions.
“What is political will in the face of government’s directives?” he asked. “It’s strange; very strange indeed! We’re no longer in office, but we’re sure that we have managed to keep a record of all that transpired when we were there. Certainly, the Government or the SIT issuing us directives to reinstate the two disengaged staff was not one of them,” the former AVC said.
