Over 200 lecturers unjustly sacked, victimised – ASUU calls University managements

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has alleged victimisation of more than 200 of its members through unjust termination of appointments and the deliberate refusal to pay them owed salaries.

ASUU disclosed this in a statement signed by the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator, Professor Oyebamiji Oyegoke and made available to newsmen on Sunday.

Oyegoke in the statement said some members of the union have been dismissed over frivolous allegations while the salaries of some in some universities have been withheld.

He maintained that some of its members at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, were being victimised for opposing the award of professorship to former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami

The Don claimed that over 120 members of the union were unjustly sacked at the Kogi State University, Anyigba for participating in a strike.

He added that five members of the union at the Lagos State University, LASU Ojoo were dismissed on trumped up charges.

He appealed to stakeholders to intervene to ensure that those who are sacked are reinstated.

Oyegoke said, “More specifically, we frown at the interminable calamities being meted against our members at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, Kogi State University (KSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Ambrose Alli 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.

“Five of our members, the Unions 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. Its been seven years since the travails commenced and have not abated despite 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 ASUUs 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.