How Staff Unions can help Universities attain academic missions --- Prof Emaimo

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences Enugu (FUAHSE), Professor John Emaimo, has disclosed that diligently organized staff unions in the universities promote good learning, enhance academic atmospheres and attract infrastructural developments in the the institution.

He said that in the other hand, disorganized unions peopled with crowd instead of quality membership distracts institutions and impede progress in the academic environments.

Emaimo therefore advocated for strong and decent characters as Union leaders who can carry out advocacies where the management of such institutions are handicapped from genuine agitation.

The Vice Chancellor made the remarks at the inauguration of the FUAHSE chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) in the university campus, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, on Tuesday.

He stated that the inauguration of the union was a significant milestone in the institution's recent transition from a Dental College into a full bright Allied Health University where things that were not possible under its former status such as staff attainment of professorships or going on sabbatical leaves are now obtained in the university.

"Management will support whatever programmer that can educate our staff. We understand that management has limitations and it's a Union such as SSANU that can protect genuine interests of the University, so we believe that we are going to benefit from the inauguration and will queue us into the national discuss on matters of Higher institutions in Nigeria," Emaimo said.

The South East Zonal chairman of SSANU, Comrade Okey Animba described Prof Emaimo as a capacity builder who single-handedly worked for the conversion of the former Dental College into a university.

Animba stated that SSANU was a very serious Union, whose days of fighting with university managements was over, but has rather become critical stakeholders because of its involvement in needs assessment.

The inaugurated interim chairman of SSANU in FUAHSE, Dr. James Eze pledged that the union will support the University's mission and vision and urged the management of the institution to consider the union as an ally that will employ dialogue to negotiate how best to serve the interest of the University and members of the union.