UG staff signs ‘no confidence petition’ against Vice Chancellor

June 24, 2015 9:42 am, [www.inewsguyana.com], Source

UG’s Vice Chancellor Professor Jacob Opadeyi. [iNews’ Photo]

The staff of the University of Guyana (UG) has signed and supported a ‘No Confidence Petition’ against Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi.

A press statement from the University’s Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and Workers Union noted that a meeting was held on June 23 at the Turkeyen Campus, where they staff “voted overwhelmingly and unequivocally to support” the petition.

According to the release, the No Confidence Petition, which was first proposed in April 2015 and drafted by a member of the academic staff, was “wholeheartedly supported by the executives and membership of the two University Unions.”

It was agreed at the meeting that the petition would be submitted to the current University Council as well as the impending Council, which is slated to be convened in July 2015. It was also agreed that the Petition would be submitted to the Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnarine.

The release noted that the staff also expressed no confidence in the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Dr. Barbara Reynolds and Dr. Elizabeth Ramlall noting that they “display similar arrogant, dismissive, offensive, unprofessional and unproductive traits as Professor Opadeyi.”

Below is the text of the No Confidence Petition:

Petition of No Confidence in the University of Guyana’s

Vice Chancellor Professor Jacob Opadeyi

23 June 2015

We the community of workers of the University of Guyana, do hereby and hereon sign this petition as a Vote of No Confidence in Professor Jacob Opadeyi in his capacity as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Guyana. We affirm that we have no confidence in his inability to administer the affairs of the University of Guyana, the premier educational institution of Guyana.

Whereas Professor Opadeyi, having responsibility for the day to day management of the institution is deemed responsible for the following infractions which are either: 1. illegal based on the Laws of Guyana; 2. against the Statutes of the University of Guyana; or,3. unethical and opposed to the best interest of the University of Guyana:

1. Blatant disregard for the Terms of Resumption Agreement signed March 2, 2015by the University Administration and the two staff unions;
2. Eroding the powers of the Academic Board as prescribed in the statutes of the University of Guyana;
3. Compromising academic quality and integrity for the sake of cutting costs;
4. A dictatorial, vindictive, micromanagement leadership style that is characterised by dishonest and deliberately misleading communications;
5. Altering terms and condition of work without consultation with employees;
6. Failure to honour contracts with employees including Illegally withholding legitimate payments due to staff;
7. Circumvention and breach of university financial systems, practices and procedures;
8. Financial mismanagement and impropriety including but not limited to system override at the bursary;
9. Repeated failure to meet legal obligations to transfer deductions from workers’ salaries to various bodies;
10. Failure to provide a safe and healthy working environment;
11. Unreasonable and inhumane treatment of staff;
12. Failure to provide faculty and workers with basic tools of the trade;
13. Failure to provide appropriate spaces, facilities and equipment for effective teaching and learning;
14. Exorbitant executive cost and size with little consideration for UG’s indebtedness;
15. Poor productivity of the Executive;
16. Unjustly and dishonestly staining the public image of the University and its staff;
17. General failure to act in the best interest of the University.

With consideration for the aforementioned infractions and in the interest of the University of Guyana and the nation it serves, we petition the Council of the University of Guyana to remove Professor Opadeyi as a matter of urgency. We further petition the Minister of Education, The Honourable Dr. Rupert Roopnarine and His Excellency President DavidGranger, President of the  Co-operative Republic of Guyana, to ensure that the Council of the University of Guyana acts in the interest of the University and the nation of Guyana.

Their real problem is No. 5.

UG lecturers don't want to put in a fair day's work; they just want to feed in the UG trough.

Opadeyi wants them to do more work.

However, Opadeyi is not good for UG.  His real job is that side contract he has to digitize the Land records.  Guyana getting a good ride from the Nigerian.  Bring in a Guyanese from the Diaspora.

Any names of Guyanese resident in the country.

Dr Misir. Or Dr Henry Jeffery

PRO-CHANCELLOR Dr. Prem Misir was the Pro-Chancellor who announced the confirmation of appointment of Jacob Opadeyi in December 2012. At that time Jacob Opadeyi at the University of the West Indies.

Regarding Professor Jacob Opadeyi ...

[[QUOTE]]

Also speaking at the press conference, Council Member, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said Professor Opadeyi is the person they best believe has the energy, openness and innovation, which gave him the edge over the other candidates.

Roopnarine pointed out, though, that all the shortlisted candidates were highly qualified academics and would have brought to UG a lot of academic expertise.

According to him, given the amount of work that needs to be done to get this university to the position where they would like to see it, there needs to be a wide range of reforms and assessments.

 
He said those assessments include the university structure, the curriculum and the operations in each faculty.

[[UNQUOTE]]

Source --- Professor Jacob Opadeyi confirmed new UG Vice-Chancellor

Site -- Jacob Opadeyi - Guyana Chronicle

Prem just took a job as VC in Mauritius.

Don't need more dinosuars at UG. Jeffrey is a PNC and PPP former minister whose usefulness has expired.

WE need smart, fresh people with the latest knowledge of what's going on in K-12 and Higher Ed.

Opadeyi was not the best choice.  Dr. Jaipaul Singh from Lancashire was the best but PPP threw him under the bus. If Roopnarine was there at the Press Conference cheerleading the Nigerian scammer, it makes it harder for him to backpeddle now.

Dr. Ivelaw Griffith would be a good man but he is making big $$$ as VC at a US University.  Granger should still give it a try and ask him. Even TK or Dr. Randy Persaud would do a better job as VC.  Now that Coalition is in power, I foresee others wanting to come to UG.

You can't do that indeed. I also heard he is at the center of closing down IDS. It seems like there are different paths people want to go down. They should consider a two tracks for lecturers. One pure teaching and one research/teaching.  

Misir gone to Fiji. University admin takes up too much time. I have enough research puzzles to keep me happy and busy for another 20 years.

Heads rolling!  When is Opadeyi going?

He wants them to work harder and they are against that.

How come it takes a Nigerian to figure out that's a basic root cause of UG's problem?

At UG, they hardly working, not working hard.

"Dr. Randy Persaud" . . . now, dis is special

heh heh heh heh