Bello proscribes ASUU in Kogi varsity

The crisis in the Kogi State University, Anyigba degenerated on Wednesday as the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, proscribed the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in the university.

The governor also ordered the governing council of the university to consider any academic staff that failed to resume work immediately to regard them as having resigned.

According to Bello, the government was forced to take the decision following the refusal of ASUU members to resume work after government had paid their salaries and allowances up to June.

The governor regretted that the union refused to end its almost seven months old strike despite the resolution of government accede to the demands of the members.

He noted that about 90 per cent of the demands of the union had been met but the lecturers refused to consider the interest of their students and return to classroom.

Bello said, “Throughout last week, I undertook a tour of the tertiary institutions in Kogi state with a view to having first-hand information about the problems in the schools, but while others have since resumed, ASUU-KSU have refused to call off their strike action.”

“As a government, we have fulfilled over 90 per cent of their demands and have even gone a step further to pay all outstanding salaries of both cleared and uncleared staff including those that have committed one crime or the other.”

He said that ASUU-KSU’s insistence on continuing her strike action even though Government has paid her members’ salaries, earned allowances and other benefits up-to-date was unreasonable and unacceptable.

The governor said, “ASUU-KSU and her members, for no justifiable cause, have deliberately persisted in the breach of their responsibilities as employees of the Kogi State Government working in an institution founded to provide essential services, to wit, education.”

“ASUU-KSU’s activities related to their strike of about seven months have obstructed and disrupted the provision of essential services, to wit, education thereby occasioning psychological trauma and irrecoverable loss to those intended lawful recipients of same.”

“Accordingly, the Kogi state government hereby makes proclamation and declares all activities of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in Kogi State University, Anyigba proscribed effective this 19th day of July, 2017.”

The governor however directed the governing council “to immediately find and engage suitable replacements for all crucial staff vacancies, including those who have left, may wish to leave or who are deemed to have left the service of the Kogi State Government and the University pursuant upon this Proclamation”.

He also ordered the council should “start the process of employing all categories of academic staff required by the Institution based on need assessment”.

The governor also tendered an apology to all students of the university and their parents for inconvenience occasioned by the protracted strike action by ASUU-KSU while commending their resilience and patience through it all.