Following the claim of the local chapter of the Academic staff Union of Universities, ASUU, that he is not qualified to be promoted to the rank of Professor, the Director of Agribusiness Incubation Centre, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike ( MOUAU), Dr Philips Nto has faulted the position of the Union describing it’s leadership as errand boys of the Governing Council Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Edeh whom he accused of being on a vendetta mission against him.
Dr Nto in release pointed out that the position of ASUU that he was not qualified to be made a professor on the account of the 2017 staff condition of service was based on ignorance, pettiness, and nepotism.
He made it clear that his leave of absence was based on the 2003 staff condition of service, which was renewed after every year, and wondered whether the new law was made to apply retroactively to him alone.
Describing the local chapter of ASUU as a wicked and manipulative tool in the hands of the Pro Chancellor, Dr Nto wondered how the ASUU Chairman who is an indigenes of Enugu State, same as the Council Chairman would be more knowledgeable than the University’s lawyer who had given his legal opinion that the 2017 condition of service can not apply retroactively to his case.
On the argument that he wants to jump from the position of a senior lecturer to professor without first being promoted to the rank of an associate professor, the Senior Lecturer noted that contrary to their submission, he was assessed both as an associate professor and that of a professor, after which the files were submitted separately.
Dr Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning in Abia State reminded ASUU and the public that such a practice was not alien in the university system and that the Council was expected to attend to them separately on their merits.
He further described it as baffling that after sitting for 10 consecutive times, the council could not reject or approve his promotion, which is the reason he decided to appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his intervention since all internal mechanism are exhausted.
Dr Nto alleged that Edeh was on of personal vendetta against him, so much so that after the Council’s committee recommended his promotion, the Chairman sat on it, citing all manner of excuses.
According to him, ASUU in MOUAU was composed of a cabal controlled by Enugu indigenes and has constituted itself into a stumbling block against the progress of academic staff in the institution.
” Imagine, in a federal university , the current and immediate past chairperson of ASUU MOUAU are of Enugu State “
According to him, it was because of such insensitivity to the welfare of staff and members that he withdrew his membership of the union on 4th of August, 2025.
“Thus, I am not surprised with the fight back,” he stated.
He therefore called on the local chapter of ASUU to stop the dissipation of energy in witch-hunting members and instead support the new National President of ASUU who has achieved in two months what they could not achieve in eight years.
Dr Nto also charged the national leadership of ASUU to investigate the wicked acts of the Local chapter, describing them as biased.
He told those arguing blindly that he ought not to have been engaged in academic activities while on leave of absence, and challenged them to be prepared to cancel the accreditation, and certificates of those he supervised and taught during the period.
He reiterated his call for the Governing Council Chairman to either approve or reject his promotion with clearly stated reasons.
