From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
National President of Academy Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Osodeke Emmanuel, yesterday, said Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has no constitutional right to proscribe unions in Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma.
He disclosed this when he led other national delegates of the union in solidarity protest to AAU over their unpaid salaries and other sundry issues besetting the institution.
“The governor did not establish the union, therefore, he doesn’t have the right or the power to ban the union. He doesn’t have that right. It is not within his jurisdiction. It is on exclusive list. So, ASUU is a properly registered union to operate anywhere in this country. He has no right, he is just making noise and it will not work,” he said.
Corroborating the national president, ASUU past president, Biodun Opeyemi, said the union needs to rise against the action of the state governor.
“What we are doing today, it is symbolic in many respects. In the first place, as a union of intellectuals, we have the responsibility to protect the integrity and sanctity of university education in Nigeria. What Obaseki is doing is tantamount to destruction of university education, we will not allow it.
“What Obaseki is trying to do today, is to isolate AAU for destruction. We owe it a duty to history and to the name of the founder who was a reputable scholar to preserve the sanctity of Ekpoma.
“In the third place, we believe if we don’t do this, other universities in Nigeria will follow the same pattern. They will follow the path of dictatorship. Dictatorship is not known to the university system. When you get to the university system, even as a graduate assistant, you can challenge a professor if what a professor is saying is not correct according to the available information.
“So, we, as trained scholars, are trained to challenge authorities when they are wrong. What we are doing today, it is symbolic. Obaseki must learn the follow correct and proper culture of the university system. University is for engagement and it is a universal environment for intellectual engagement,” he said.
AAU-ASUU Chairman, Cyril Onogbosele, said the state government was owing the union 19 months salary arrears just as he added that they have lost 10 of their members to the cold hands of death due to lack of funds to attend to their needs.