FG constitutes visitation panel for petroleum varsity

The Federal Government has constituted a visitation panel to the Federal University of Petroleum, Effurun, Delta State.Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Prof. Nicolas Damachi, in a statement, in Abuja, on Wednesday, said President Goodluck Jonathan, had approved the constitution of the panel.Members of the panel, Damachi said, were the Chairman, Prof. Olurotimi Tayo, Prof. Ikenna Onyido, Dr. Chris Tamuno, Prof. Patrick Oshio, Alhaji Abdu Gimba, Dr. Adamu Ahmed, and Mrs. Ori Okujokwu who will serve as the secretary.The FUPR has been engulfed in a crisis of confidence which pitched the management against a section of staff and students.This led to the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor and other principal staff of the institution. They were later reinstated.However, the reinstatement of the Vice-Chancellor by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, led to a fresh round of crisis as the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of the school went on strike in protest.The institutions ASUU embarked on work-to-rule following the reinstatement of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Alabi, and Registrar, Dr. Linda Onwuka.Alabi and Onwuka were sent on compulsory leave by the Governing Council on October 19, but the decision was said to have been overturned by the minister.The minister took the action after Alabi was said to have reported the case to the National Universities Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education, in Abuja.The branch chairman of ASUU, Dr. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, said ASUU was against the reinstatement because it infringed upon the universitys autonomy.
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