Following the recent rummours making round in Imo over the true cause of the indefinite strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Imo State University chapter last week, Imolities especially parents and students are panicking over the remoured return of school fees in the state owned school.
Feelers reaching Trumpeta disclosed that one of the causes of the strike as stated was staff salaries which is owed them for some months. It was also alleged that at a meeting with the state governor Rocahs Anayo Okorocha on how to resolve and off-load the salary arrears of the staffers of the University. The governor was alleged to have advised the school management to start collecting school fees as govt is in financial crisis.
According to our source, the school management was of the opinion that it will be a lot better and easier if the governor goes on air to intimate the general public of his reversed decision on free education just the way he announced the it years ago. So as to save the school the troubles from parents and students.
This, they said did not go down well with the governor who told them that this time is time for collective sacrifices from all saying that since he asumed, office he has neither collected salary nor security vote which amounts to over sixteen billion naira (N16b) and wondered why the people will not appreciate him and help him rescue Imo. He also submitted that “Imo is rich in vision not in cash”.
However, the inability of the governor to come up with a positive and positive solution to the accumulated salary arrears and the alleged reverse on free education to raise fund for the running of the institution is alleged to have prompted the indefinite strike by ASUU Imo state University Chapter.
Some of the students of IMSU interviewed by our reporter confirmed that they have heard the rumour but maintained that it can not be true. According to one Onyema Kennedy of the faculty of engineering “we are hearing the rumour o! but for me, I don’t believe it because that will amount to the governor seeing and using Imo people as fools, I think he has conscience, he can not do such” He stated.
