ASUU orders members to boycott UNILORIN

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members nationwide to boycott all academic and allied activities at the University of Ilorin.

It added that the university’s academic staff will also not be allowed to carry out any academic activity on any public university in Nigeria.

ASUU wielded the big stick following what it called University of Ilorin administration’s persistent acts of lawless, arbitrariness, violation of human and trade union rights and persecution of loyal members.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of its Awka National Executive Council meeting, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Ibadan by the Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr Deji Omole.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that ASUU was worried that despite efforts at resolving the crisis in the institution, the university management and its sponsored groups were fuelling the crisis.

“Despite all intervention efforts by the ASUU since 2001, the University of Ilorin administration has persisted in acts of lawlessness, arbitrariness, violation of human and trade union right and persecution of loyal members.

“Contrary to the law and despite the ruling of the National Industrial Court, the university has continued to prevent the union from functioning on its campus. The university has also continued to forcefully collect check-off money from academics of the university in the name of the union without remitting it to the union,” it noted.

Meanwhile, the University of Ilorin branch of ASUU has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the crisis in the institution by directing its management to obey the National Industrial Court ruling as regards “authentic” faction of ASUU at the university.

Branch chairman, Dr Kayode Afolayan, told newsmen in Abuja, during the weekend, that the union has petitioned President Buhari, who is the Visitor to the university, to stop “repressive” activities of the management of the institution.

Dr Afolayan is the Unilorin branch chairman of ASUU that is aligned to the national body of the union.