Mohammed Shosanya
The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday raised the alarm that more than 200 of her members are being victimised through unjust termination of appointments and the deliberate refusal to pay them owed salaries.
The union accused the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, of victimising members of the Union for opposing the award of professorship on former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami.
This was contained in a press conference addressed by the Zonal Coordinator Professor Oyebamiji Oyegoke where he raised alarm that the “onslaught by some elements of the Nigerian state in its quest at destroying what is left of Nigerian public universities has not abated” adding that the latest onslaught are now from visitors and university administrators”.
The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (comprising the University of Ibadan, Ibadan; University of Ilorin, Ilorin; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; Osun State University, Osogbo; Kwara State University, Malete; and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo).
According to Professor Oyegoke, over 120 members of the Union were unjustly sacked at the Kogi State University, Anyigba for participating in strike while at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, ASUU members’ are demanding for justice on 28 months of unpaid salaries, and are opposing undue amendment of Conditions of Service by Special Intervention Team, and rejection of notional promotion of members.
“More specifically, we frowned at the interminable calamities being meted against our members at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, Kogi State University (KSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma (AAUE), Edo State, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State, and the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State and others campuses where our members are being unlawfully suspended, unjustly diminished, denied promotion, and salaries withheld for insisting on the rule of law and insistence on defending the autonomy status of universities.
“It is unfortunate that the situation has not changed, hence, the need for reinstating our patriotic opposition to the odious state of things in the aforementioned universities. As the saying goes, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
“At Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, Professor Oyegoke disclosed that “five of our members, the Union’s branch Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer were dismissed on trumped up charges like insistence on adherence to the rule of law and asking for well-deserved promotion.
“It’s been seven years since the travails commenced and have not abated despite the fact that the Visitation Panel set up by the Visitor to LASU, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, absolved our members and called for their unconditional reinstatement.
“In Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, the branch secretariat is locked and our members are not allowed to hold regular congress meetings on the campus as if the right to freedom of assembly and association is not sine qua non under the Nigerian Constitution. To worsen the situation, salaries of our members, up to 12 months, are withheld for keeping faith with ASUU’s adherence to due process and academic freedom.
“In Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, Instead of the University Administration implementing the court judgment that was in the favour of our victimized members, the university has resulted into appealing the judgment which favoured our members hoping to prolong and protract, the inevitable triumph of good over evil.”