ESUT loses accreditation over sack of 153 lecturers

The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), has lost accreditation of several departments following its alleged disengagement of about 153 of its lecturers.

It would be recalled that the affected lecturers had lamented that they were sacked by ESUT authorities shortly after using them to scale last accreditation exercise of some of its faculties/ departments.

Despite several protest letters and appeals, the University refused to rescind the sack.

Confirming the withdrawal of the accreditation of faculties/departments earlier given to ESUT authorities on Tuesday, the Director of Information and Public Relations of the National University Commission (NUC), Mallam Ibrahim Yakassai, said that the NUC under the Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie frowned at a situation where some universities hired and sacked lecturers immediately after using them (lecturers) to get accreditation from the Commission. Malam Yakassai acknowledged that the Commission received several petitions from the dismissed lecturers from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology over their alleged wrongful dismissal from service.

He said, “Following the series of petitions from the disengaged staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, the NUC on February 12, 2016 withdrew accreditation of Mass Communication,

Engineering, Psychology and some other departments. The NUC cannot sit down and watch such ugly development”.

In a Save Our Soul letter sent to the NUC through their lawyer, B. N Ugwu, the affected lecturers had alleged that they were intimidated, and unlawfully disengaged by the University authorities.