The Rivers State Government has sacked over 1700 staff members of the Ignatius Ajutu University of Education, Rumuolumeni.
According to the State Government, their sack was a result of irregularities in the employment process.
During the final year of Chief Nyesom Wike’s reign as governor, the state government hired academic and non-academic staff for the institution.
However, as contained in a Public Announcement signed by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom, dated July 13, the present State Government, headed by Governor Siminialaye Fubara, had given directives for all those hired through the exercise who have worked for more than six months to promptly return the employment letter and Staff Identity Cards supplied by the institution.
According to Mmom, the employment exercise had many anomalies and did not fulfill the government’s standards; he therefore ordered that the exercise be declared invalid.
He added that all people involved in the process are currently unemployed and that a legitimate job search would be conducted.
He said: “The Government of Rivers State has observed with dismay the inconsistencies, irregularities, and flagrant disobedience to the directives concerning the just concluded recruitment exercise at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt.
“Therefore, the recent employment exercise conducted by the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, is hereby cancelled.
“All appointment letters issued and received are hereby nullified, and the affected persons are directed to return the letters to the office of the Registrar of the Institution and other employment-related properties such as ID Cards in their possession to the office of the Head of Service, Rivers State, immediately.
“A proper and credible recruitment exercise shall be conducted in due course.”
