The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Kogi State government to reinstate 120 academic workers of the state’s university (KSU) at Anyigba who were sacked in 2017.
The union’s chairman at the University of Nigeria (UNN), Eze Onyibo, made the appeal in a statement yesterday in Nsukka, Enugu State.
The union leader contended that the termination of their appointment for participating in a strike for better welfare and arrears of salaries amounted to trampling on their rights and privileges.
He said the ASUU chapter at the UNN was making the appeal because KSU is under the Nsukka Zone of the union, adding that “whatever affects KSU-ASUU affects all of us in Nsukka ASUU Zone”.
Recalling what led to the sack of the 120 academic workers, Onyibo said: “The strike took place after several attempts were turned down by ex-Governor Yahaya Bello for the union to negotiate with government.
“Rather, the then governor, during the strike, proscribed ASUU-KSU and terminated the appointments of the 120 academic workers of the university, which has become a subject of litigation.
“At the Industrial Court of Nigeria, both the Kogi State government and the KSU management brought no allegations against the 120 sacked workers as the only argument of being on strike cannot fly.”
Also, the Lagos Zone of ASUU has urged the visitor to the Lagos State University (LASU), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to help recall the five sacked lecturers during the tenure of erstwhile Vice Chancellor Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun.
The lecturers are: Tony Dansu, Adeolu Oyekan, Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, Isaac Akinloye-Oyewumi, and Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Lagos, ASUU’s Coordinator for Lagos Zone, Prof. Adelaja Odukoya, said: “The dismissed union leaders headed to the courts to enforce their rights, supported by ASUU national leadership, which also imposed some sanctions on LASU. Upon her assumption of office, the university administration under Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and the Governing Council revisited the issue of the disputed dismissals.
“Based on what we know, the governing council, on February 23, 2022 considered the report of its committee on grievances and concluded that the dismissals were unjust. It ordered the immediate reinstatement of the five officers of ASUU.
“The following day, however, news went around that the university had been directed from Alausa to put the implementation of the decision of council on hold. The alleged reason was that the issues were also presented before the Visitation Panel set up by the Visitor. The panel completed its work in February 2022 and submitted the report in September of the same year.”
Also, ASUU has demanded an immediate end to the alleged victimisation and sack of its members in some public institutions, including Ebonyi State University (EBSU) at Abakaliki.
The Calabar Zone of ASUU made the demand during a solidarity rally at the EBSU permanent site yesterday in Abakiliki.
The union’s Zonal Coordinator, Mrs. Happiness Uduk, said the rally was part of the events to mark the “Victimised Lecturer Day”.
Mrs. Uduk said that putting an end to the victimisation and sacking of the union members would help to engender peace in the institutions.