Academic activities resume at Ebonyi University, Abakaliki

                                              

Academic activities have commenced at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki following the return to work directive to lecturers, issued the authorities of the university.

A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent who visited the university on Tuesday observed that lectures were going on in virtually all departments at the three campuses of the institution.

At the College of Agricultural Sciences, students were seen receiving lectures while others were either loitering or discussing in groups.

At the Department of Animal Sciences and Law Faculty, students who spoke to NAN affirmed that they received lectures in the morning.

“We have started lectures since last week, even now we just received lectures but I don’t know about other departments,” Okechukwu Mbam, a second year agric science student said.

A Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that lectures commenced last week at the institution, adding that students were gradually returning

“I taught my students twice last week. The school is bubbling and the students are gradually returning.

“We came back to school based on the directive of the school management even before the Federal Government’s directive,” he said.

NAN recalls that the authorities of the university had on Nov. 25, announced the resumption of academic activities in the institution.

Lecturers in the university as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities had participated in the strike until the directive from the authorities of the university.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Francis Idike, had explained that the resumption of academic activities was in the interest of both students and staff of the institution.

Idike said the resumption was to recover the ground the institution lost to earlier closure in February and the nationwide ASUU strike that followed.

“The university has set up a monitoring committee to assess the level of compliance at the three campuses of the institution,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, which resumed for a new academic session for 2013/2014 in October did not participate in the ASUU strike because it was not yet affiliated to the union.