UNIZIK Reviews Stalled Career Progression of Staff, Ends Years of Employment Uncertainty

By Our Correspondent

The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has commenced a review of cases involving staff who have remained in service for years without corresponding career progression, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Stanley Bond Anyaehie, has disclosed.

Anyaehie made the disclosure while receiving newly payrolled academic staff of the university, who visited his office to express appreciation for his administration’s intervention in resolving their prolonged employment and payroll challenges.

The staff, led by Dr. Kingsley Asogwa, described their inclusion on the university payroll as a major milestone after years of uncertainty, saying the development had restored their sense of belonging, improved their financial stability and renewed their confidence in the institution.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor said the administration was committed to staff welfare and would continue to assist workers with genuine concerns, but stressed that such interventions must operate within the framework of existing laws, regulations and university procedures.

He said the university had recently considered cases involving staff who had been properly placed as far back as 2013 but whose expected career progression had failed to materialise.

According to him, the university is also reviewing similar cases involving personnel who have served for extended periods without progression, including some staff of the university’s teaching hospital.

Anyaehie, however, cautioned that every case must be determined on the basis of facts, proper documentation and verifiable records.

He said claims of previous teaching or professional experience must be supported by credible evidence establishing the nature of the employment, responsibilities performed and the relevance of such experience to the position being sought.

The Vice-Chancellor particularly noted that experience acquired in one sector could not automatically be equated with experience in another sector.

He cited banking experience as an example, saying it could not, without evidence establishing its relevance, automatically be regarded as equivalent to university teaching experience.

He also referred to cases involving professionals who obtained higher qualifications but whose previous employment history was outside the professional field in which they subsequently sought recognition.

According to him, acquiring additional qualifications could strengthen an individual’s case but could not retrospectively create professional or academic experience that had not actually been acquired in the relevant field.

“There are many things we would like to do for our people. But we must also consider the laws, regulations and procedures governing the University,” he said.

Anyaehie said the administration’s objective was not to deny workers their legitimate rights but to ensure that decisions taken by the university were properly documented, defensible and in the overall interest of the institution and its workforce.

He added that whenever there was a lawful avenue for assisting staff, his administration would pursue it.

The Vice-Chancellor assured the visiting staff that the university would continue to explore legitimate means of addressing genuine staff concerns while maintaining fairness and compliance with established regulations.

He thanked the newly payrolled academics for their appreciation and urged them to reciprocate the administration’s efforts by remaining committed to their duties and the development of the university.