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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), University of Benin chapter, has accused members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of assaulting its members.
The chairman of the union, Ishaq Osagie Eweka, made the allegation while speaking with journalists in Benin.
He alleged that members of ASUU invaded the classroom when students were writing their exams and forcefully evicted them.
Comrade Eweka said that the lecturers were not spared as they were allegedly rough-handled by members of ASUU who were carrying out their orders.
According to him: “They invaded the classroom, harassed the vice chairperson of the union, destroyed our phone, and I’ve sent videos to the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo State council to confirm what I’ve seen on camera.
“I want to inform the general public that the University of Benin is conducting exams as we speak. The ASUU may be on strike, but the Congress of Nigerian University Academics are on ground to conduct exams.
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“It is your responsibility as a union having declared strike to withdraw your services, but not to enforce your declaration on another union. Thank you, Mr Chairman. So, the going of protection now is that ASUU result to go on strike.”
Eweka further called on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to come to their rescue and save them from undue embarrassment.
“So, we want to use this opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and other security agencies to ensure that CONUA members are protected from the intimidation and harassment of ASUU, who have chosen not to be civil, who have chosen to go in an attempt to enforce their will on other union academic union members.
“We are a civil union and we believe in dialogue. We don’t believe in confrontation and we are dialoguing with government and we know in due course the welfare of our members will be met,” Eweka said.
The claim was also corroborated by Professor Godspower Ekuobase, lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, UNIBEN.
Debunking the alleged assault on members of CONUA, a member of ASUU, UNIBEN chapter, who preferred anonymity, said that no members of CONUA were assaulted.
