The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has slammed the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwummi Ambode and his Kogi State counterpart Gov Yahaya Bello over what they described as negligent and mismanagement of State Owned universities, deplorable condition of the institutions in terms of infrastructures and the disdained attitude on the part of the State Government towards their Members at the State Universities, the development that they said is capable of destroying the Nigerian University Education and ridiculing her certificates in the global community.
The ASSU coordinator, Owerri Zone, Prof Ike Odimegwu who disclosed this to journalists at a press conference yesterday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said the crisis in Kogi State University KSU, Anyigba has been a recurring incident due to inadequate funding and erosion of university autonomy and academic standards by the State Government.
He said in July 2017, the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello announced the proscription of all ASUU activities in the University. Which was followed with the sacking of over 150 academic staff of the University who were on a lawful struggle to press for the payment of the backlog of their salary running into several months.
These lawless actions he maintained, are clear manifestations of arrogance and a very high level of ignorance on the side of Mr Yahaya.
Bello vis-a-vis the limits of his power as the State Governor and failure of appreciation of the essence of a University. This arrogant display of power and abuse of office by Mr Yahaya Bello speaks volume about the extent to which some political office holders could go to crush perceived opposition in their bid to emasculate and enslave Nigerians so as to fulfil their ambition towards destroying the public education system. After the sack of the over 150 seasoned lecturers, Mr Yahaya Bello resorted to the recruitment of unqualified individuals such as laboratory attendants, members of the National Youth Service Corps, NCE holders and even undergraduate students to replace them. These actions of Mr Yahaya Bello amounted to gross violation of International Labour Law, the Constitution of Nigeria and all known best practices in the university system.
At the Lagos State University, the ASSU Zonal coordinator revealed further that the recent history of university education in Nigeria, Lagos State University has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. ASUU as a Union of intellectuals stands and fights for knowledge, truth and service. And we cannot do otherwise as that will amount to living contrary to the essence of our being and existence.
In the course of our struggles for just and equitable society, our members have been subjected several times to various forms of victimisation and intimidation.
Odimegwu said this is the current situation in LASU. Our Union had only requested the Vice Chancellor, Prof Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, to constitute a functional Budget Monitoring Committee (BMC) in line with the Guidelines for Accessing Needs Assessment Intervention Fund of the Federal Government; provide evidence of proper utilisation of N1.3 billion Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund released to the University in 2013, both of which was a product of the collective struggle of our Union; implement the Earned Academic Allowances component of the ASUU-FGN 2009 Agreement; domesticate the Universities (Miscellaneous Provision) (Amendment) Act on single term of five years for the Principal Officers of the University; reverse the violation of Governing Council decisions; and adhere to the University rules and regulations.
The refusal of the University Administration to revisit the contentious new Conditions of Service after it has been roundly rejected by all the Staff Unions in LASU as at 5th December, 2017 speaks volumes of the dictatorial tendencies of the LASU Administration led by Prof Lanre Fagbohun.
Instead of addressing these weighty issues, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Fagbohun, resorted to intimidation, harassment and subsequent sack of the Branch Chairperson, Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi, and Vice Chairperson, Dr Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu.
Further to the unjust dismissal of the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson of ASUU-LASU Branch, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Fagbohun, has continued to harass, intimidate and witch-hunt other members of our Union especially members of the executive with a view to decimating our Union in LASU, Odimegwu queried.
The Owerri Zone comprising Chukwuemeka Odemegwu Ojukwu University, Uli Federal University of Technology, Owerri, IMO State University Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.