The Rivers State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has demanded the immediate recall of the Head of Department of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Andrew Efemini, to his former position.
Efemini was removed by the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Joseph Ajienka for participating in the students demonstration over the killing of four of their colleagues in Aluu, Ikwerre local council of the state.
In a statement signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jerry Needam, the party described the VC’s decision to remove Efemini as irrational, unlawful, ungodly and provocative.
The party called for the removal of the VC for taking what it described as a provocative action in the period of mourning the students .The statement further lamented that the VC did not show adequate concern towards the sad and unfortunate death of his own students.
He has refused to visit parents of those students and goes about his normal duties as if nothing happened in UNIPORT. The VC remains a happy man even when the whole world is mourning over the manner these students were tortured and roasted to death, the party alleged.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also condemned the removal of the HOD. Its President,Mr. Dauda Mohammed, said it was wrong for the vice chancellor to have removed the lecturer from his post.
Mohammed, who is a student of the University of Jos, argued that if the situation was reversed and lecturers were the victims of the brutality in Aluu, the students would have expressed their solidarity with lecturers.
An injury to one is an injury to all and that is why we are saying that the decision to remove the head of department, Philosophy in the University of Port Harcourt is wrong.
By joining students in the protest, the HOD was merely condemning the gruesome murder of four students of the university. Nigerian students would have shown the same solidarity if it were a lecturer that was affected.
We are calling on the management of the university to have a rethink and reinstate the removed lecturer as HOD. Many Nigerians have condemned the killing of UNIPORT students and if a lecturer does the same thing, we don’t think that he deserved to be punished.â€
Pointblanknews.com gathered that the university authorities have maintained sealed lips over the fate of the deposed Efemini. UNIPORT’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. William Wodi, said Efemini was not the first Head of Department to be removed from office by a serving vice chancellor, as the appointment or removal of heads of departments, directors and unit heads remained the prerogative of the vice chancellor.