College of Education, Mosogar: Provost Condemns Closure Of School Gate, Clarifies Issues

The provost of the College of Education, Mosogar, Dr. Imide Israel, has condemned the action of Mr. Apuma Festus and Mr. Dedekimo Friday seen in a recent video locking the college gate with some MOSOGAR indigenes, saying this contravenes the law establishing the institution.

Dr. Israel said this while responding to questions from journalists.

Hr added that the duo under the guise of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) see the property of Delta state government as their own property because it is located in their community and as such can do what ever pleases them.

The provost during his address to journalists explained that some irresponsible staff took laws into their hands because staff verification was done some time ago to fish out ghost workers and staffs not coming to work.

According to him, the move was on the mandate of College Council.

In his words: “We were asked to monitor staff and make sure they are at their duty post at all times and as a result a signing register was opened for staff to be signing.”

ALSO READ: Wike’s Silence: Atiku, PDP Should Watch Out, Says Kperogi

He continued: “One Dedekimo Friday (NASU chairman) and Apuma Festus who locked the college gate today tore the signing register, saying the directive of council on signing was targeted at Mosogar indigenes, You can imagine that. The duo ( Dedekimo and Apuma) went further to harass and destroy the property of the chairman of the staff monitoring committee in charge of the signing and even threatened to kill him. The chairman of the staff monitoring committee in order to protect his life ran to the police station to incident the case which led to the arrest of Dedekimo and Apuma

“Some staff and members of NASU union came to me to help intervene and that the matter should be settled internally, which I did. I and my management staff met and agreed on setting up a panel to investigate the allegations.

“Based on the recommendation of the panel, Mr. Apuma Festus was suspended for three months with half salary. On Tuesday 21st June, a day after the suspension Mr. Apuma came destroying my office documents and properties and threatened to kill me because he is from Mosogar community. I have to place a call to the police, on sighting the police he ran.

“Some of the indigenes and highly respected chief of the community have also frowned at some of the indigenes action. According to some of them, some of the indigenes working in College of Education, MOSOGAR want to destroy the school. A situation were a worker will resume work by 10 or 11am and close by 1:30pm because there are no check and balances is unacceptable.”

“This is one of the administrative check the Provost is trying to introduce in order to develop the college and at the same time install sanity.”

He further opined that the same indigenes of Mosogar working in the college will be complaining that the provost want to destroy the college because of this giant stride just to restore sanity and at the same time complain that the Provost does not like Mosogar indigenes.

Speaking further, he said: “Some of the indigenes of Mosogar have put strong words to their fellow indigenes to tread carefully not to kill or destroy the college cause if they do, people will migrate from the community and we all know the consequences.

“According to Chief Joe Omene, some of the indigenes wanted to display same rude behavior when I was the chairman of council. I had to encourage the then Provost l, Dr. Money to discipline any erring worker because somebody struggled to bring the college to the community for the benefit of all.

“I want to state categorically that it is only a mad man that will want to sack a staff who did not commit any offense. I have no plans of sacking any staff let alone MOSOGAR indigenes working in the college.

“Its an aberration for some members of the community working in the College to say so just to get sympathy.

“I still strongly want to remind them that MOSOGAR is not the only community that is hosting higher institution In Delta State.”