Following rumours of his alleged resignation on social media, the Vice-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Professor Chigozie Ogbu, yesterday said he has not resigned his position contrary to speculation.
9NEWS Nigeria recalls that there e were speculations in the state especially on social media (not on our platform) that Ogbu had resigned his position following an alleged disagreement between the university and its visitor, Governor David Nweze Umahi.
But the Vice-Chancellor said he had no intension to resign as there was no rift between the management and the state government.
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, Ogbu, a former Deputy Governor of the state and former Chief Medical Director of the defunct Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital (EBSUTH), described the rumour as false, intended and unintended.
He said: “We all woke up to the news like you heard that the Vice-Chancellor has resigned but that is absolutely false in anyway, intended or unintended. So, the Vice-Chancellor has not, has no intention to resign for any reason but let me explain to you what has led to this; you recall that either in February or March, all educational institutions were closed, the university included and you know the major source of income in the university are the students and at the time of the closure, students were just registering.
A good number had registered, a good number have not registered either. “So because of the fee collected, we were able to continue to pay salary until the end of May and that time, we met with the staff, with the unions and everybody and explain to them the handicap because we don’t collect fees again, there is no other source of getting money to pay school fees, the state government subvents the salaries. They’ve been paying their own sub- vention but internally because we don’t have money from students, the university cannot make up to join portion of the salary.
“It was from June, we stopped paying salary and that’s where we are. Now, when the council became aware of this, we set up a committee to see what can be done to raise fund for the university. That committee worked with the union and other members of the academia came up with the report which Thursday last week, was presented to the visitor to the university, the Governor of the state, Engr. David Nweze Umahi.”
