Anxiety as FUNAI begins staff audit, certificate verification

There is noticeable anxiety among some staff of the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi state as the institution recently commenced a personnel audit to ascertain the authenticity of academic qualifications of its staff.

This followed the directive of the governing council that a staff audit be carried out to reposition the personnel standard of the institution by weeding out ghost workers and staff with fake certificates.

The verification exercise is also geared towards ensuring that the culture of authenticity being championed by the institution’s vice chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba for the overall development of the university is achieved by pooling together a group of highly committed, competent and focused staff.

However, the exercise has generated mixed reactions among staff members. While some see it as a welcome development in the drive to move the university forward and ensure it attains its vision of world class status, others expressed reservations about the outcome of the exercise.

Chairman of the certificate verification committee and Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sunday Elom explained that the exercise was not targeted at specific individuals, but to determine the genuineness or otherwise of the certificates of its staff, and fish out those who might have gained employment using fake credentials.

Already, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), FUNAI chapter has thrown its weight behind the exercise. The Chairman of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Chigbata said the union believes that the exercise would keep the university on the right track to becoming a functional institution of learning that meets the demands of 21st century economy. The verification exercise is billed to end on May 4, 2017.