Following its declaration of September 10 as ‘Victimized Lecturers’ Day,’ the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) has commenced a rally against the dismissal and victimization of its members.
The rally held in the union’s various zones had the lecturers coming out to declare their opposition on the issue of victimization of their colleagues.
A statement released by ASUU Owerri Zone stated that five lecturers at the Lagos State University, Ojo were dismissed illegally.
The union also listed other institutions where its members are facing victimization to include 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.
“We are disheartened by the deliberate reluctance of the respective university administration governing councils and visitors of the stated universities to halt the spiraling victimization of academic staff for all standing for truth.
“The victimization suffered by our members ranges from dismissal from service, suspension from duty and statutory meetings, denial of promotion, deliberate seizure of salaries, non-payment of promotion arrears, non-responsibility by seeking the truth, finding the truth, teaching the truth and defending the truth.
“ASUU is particularly disturbed at the seeming travesty of justice in the judgment delivered against our members at the Kogi State University, Anyigba, after seven years of waiting,” it said.
Listing out its demands, ASUU Lagos Zone, urged the Governor Babajide Sanwolu to put an end to the “injustice” in LASU and recall the illegally dismissed lecturers.
“ASUU was targeted for destruction in LASU via attack on its branch leadership by ‘Lanre Fagbohun, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of LASU, empowered by Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, the then Chairman of LASU Governing Council.
“In September 2017, the Union’s branch Chairman and Vice Chairman, Dr Isaac Oyewumi and Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu were dismissed based on trumped up charges; mainly because of ASUU’s insistence on strict adherence to the rule of law by Fagbohun’s administration in managing the affairs of the university.
“In September 2019, the Union’s Secretary and Assistant Secretary Drs Anthony Dansu and Adeolu Oyekan were dismissed on the basis that ASUU requested that the illegal professorship of the Vice Chancellor Dr ‘Lanre Fagbohun be investigated by the Prof Ninalowo-led Governing Council. The petition remains unattended to till date.
“On the same day in September 2019, the Union’s Treasurer Dr. Oluwakemi Aboderin Shonibare was also dismissed for asking that her well-deserved promotion be properly dated.
“In November 2021, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu set up a Visitation Panel for LASU. ASUU and several other stakeholders submitted memoranda. The governor has refused to release the white paper of the report of the visitation panel to date.
“In February 2022, under the new administration of Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, two committees’ reports on the matters were presented to the new Governing Council led by Sir David Sunmoni. The reports absolved the five ASUU leaders of any wrongdoings, and the Council ordered their unconditional reinstatement immediately. Less than 24 hours after the decision, Governor Jide Sanwo-Olu reportedly asked that the implementation of the reinstatement be put on hold. Nothing has been heard from his office on the matter since then.
“However, in 2023, Dr. Lanre Fagbohun who is the cause of all the issues, and whose atrocities formed the bulk of the issues in the visitation panel’s report was illegally reappointed as a Professor of Law, without recourse to the Visitation,” the lecturers said.