ASUU holds solidarity rally Sept 10 for sacked members
By Gabriel Dike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared September 10th as national solidarity day to protest against the victimisation of members in some public institutions.
The decision to stage the solidarity rally was taken by the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU at a recent meeting held at the University of Ibadan.
“National Solidarity rally in Support of Victimized Branches.
The union at the NEC meeting reiterated the sanctions imposed on the Lagos State University (LASU) and also reaffirmed the declaration of he former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun as enemy of the ASUU.
“NEC discussed the level of victimization of members in some branches and resolved to hold a solidarity rally on Tuesday, September 10th, 2024,” the resolution stated.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said NEC expressed disappointment at the unwillingness of the some visitors to arrest the unending management crisis and victimization in some public universities.
The solidarity rally would hold in support of victimized members at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Kogi State University (KSU), Anyingba, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki and Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam.
He added: “In these and other universities, our members are being victimized through such avenues as illegal termination of appointment, withholding of salaries, and denial of promotion.
“ASUU is particularly disturbed at the seeming travesty of justice in the judgment delivered against our members at KSU, after seven odd years of waiting. We are also worried by the extended period of court proceedings in respect of our colleagues illegal sacked at LASU for upward of five years.’’
Osodeke explained that undue elongation of court proceedings has created untold hardship on sacked union leaders, adding, ‘’it is typical instance of justice delayed being justice denied.’’
ASUU president expressed disappointment with the refusal of the Lagos State Government to release the White Paper on the Visitation Panel to LASU more than two years after the exercise.
The union called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to redeem his pledge to do the right thing at LASU and ensure the recall of the unjust sacked union leaders.
According to him, ‘’ASUU is equally dissatisfied with the development at EBSU, where rather than implement the court judgment and reinstate our sacked colleagues, the university is buying time by appealing the judgment.
Osodeke said NEC called on visitors to EBSU and other state universities where ASUU members are being persecuted to take decisive step to resolve the lingering issues and give the universities a new breadth of life.
Said he: ”To register ASUU’s displeasure with the avoidable labour management crisis in LASU, KSU, FUTO and other public universities, NEC has declared Tueday, September 10th, 2024 as Victimized Lecturers Day. The day shall be used to solidarise with our unjustly persecuted members across Nigerian universities.’’
Meanwhile, the NEC deliberated on the protracted crises at the LASU branch and resolved to continue its support of its members until justice was served.
The union directed the branch to furnish the national secretariat with a comprehensive
up to date report on the issues and reaffirmed its earlier sanctions imposed on LASU and declared former LASU VC, Prof Fagbohun as an enemy of the union.
Among the sanctions placed on LASU include no sabbatical leave, visitation, part-time lectureship, external examinations, external assessments, conferences, workshops; research collaborations/visits to and from LASU should stopped forthwith.
