Reporter: Giorgio Berbatiotis
The Student Association has updated its website with information about the censure of SA president Peter Chinweuba. The censure occurred at a Feb. 13 emergency meeting, which was called to address concerns raised by students about a homophobic Facebook status posted by a Nigerian national and shared by the president, who is a Nigerian citizen himself.
The letter of censure includes a laundry list of complaints against the current SA president, although the SA did not include any of the documents that were presented to the board at the Feb. 13 meeting. Among the many accusations levied against the president are failure to show up for work, excessive use of paid vacation, issues related to HR, and attempting to terminate a senior employee unilaterally, which Chinweuba has since asserted was a reference to an incident with new executive director Dina Skvirsky.
In a letter sent to the Chronicle, the Oshawa Express and the Toronto Star, Chinweuba made a series of allegations in response to the letter of censure, which was released by the SA via their website, on the first day of the SA election process. He defended himself from several of the accusations, and also criticized current and former members of the SA for having an agenda against him, because he has voiced opposition to the Canadian Federation of Students and resisted accepting a hardline approach to dealing with the college and university, such as litigation, in regards to the fee issue.
Chinweuba accused vice-chair Baker Baha, VP of university affairs Jeremy Baarbe and former VP of university affairs Jesse Cullen of working against him to further their own political agenda, saying they have been “pushing to join CFS.”
Chinweuba also asserted that he was not responsible for incurring the $18,000 in legal fees referenced in the censure letter as being used “for a personal matter”.
He claimed that new executive director Dina Skvirsky suggested he use the legal counsel, after he says, the matter at hand was explained to him as a threat from the institutions over the fees issue.
Skvirsky has denied any inappropriate action towards the president in the past, and has refused to comment on the most recent allegations.
