Parents, students decry crisis at UNN

Some parents and students of the University of Nigeria in Nsukka (UNN) have called on the federal and state governments to intervene in the crisis currently rocking the institution.

Academic and administrative activities had been paralysed in the university following resumed protests by the workers calling for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bartho Okolo.

Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday expressed dismay at the development barely three weeks after the suspension of a six-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

A parent and civil servant, Mr Isaiah Okwu, regretted that after the suspension of the strike by ASUU, students of the university were faced with another crisis.

"This situation is affecting the future of our children and standard of education in the country. For how long will this continue?" he asked.

Another parent, Mr Chinedu Chimerenka, urged the federal and state governments to set up a committee to investigate the crisis and come up with a lasting solution.

"It is our children who are bearing the brunt of the crisis. They have lost almost a year in the suspended strike having spent six months at home.

"If the vice chancellor is having issues with the workers, the government should look into it and save the situation.

"If nothing is done to remedy the situation, I fear the UNN may lose its glory," he said.

Chukwuemeka Ugah, a 200-level student in the Faculty of Social Sciences, told NAN that the students were the ones being affected by the problem.

"We just celebrated the suspension of the ASUU strike without knowing that there is another big challenge waiting by the side.

"The government should do something to save one of the oldest universities in Nigeria from this kind of disgrace," Ugah said.

Another science student of the institution, Jessica Okolo, said the students had missed months of academic activities because of the ASUU strike.

"Please we do not want to grow old in the university. Our mates in other universities are rounding off the session and we are here facing another problem," she said.

Okolo appealed to the workers to go back to work in the interest of peace and students of the university.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of trade unions in the institution also called on the federal government to reinstate the suspended former Pro-Chancellor, Dr Emeka Enejere, or make public his offence.