OAU may re-open soon

THERE are indications that the two non-academic staff unions in the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, that have been on strike may return to work anytime from Monday.

Members of the local chapters of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) as well as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have been on strike for more than two weeks protesting against the appointment of Professor Ayo Salami as the new vice chancellor of the university.

The strike and vigil kept around the Senate building had prevented salaries of all staff for June from being processed.

But Nigerian Tribune recalls that the OAU branch of NASU headed by Comrade Wole Odewunmi had been dissolved via a letter from the national body of the association for embarking on the protest without express permission from the National Executive Council.

The letter, dated June 21, 2016 and signed by the General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi JP, pronounced the OAU branch committee dissolved with effect from June 20, “for persistent violation of the content of the constitution” of the association.

It also ordered the local executive to handover the property of the union in their possession to NASU state secretary.

Following the dissolution of the non-academic staff unions that have resisted Salami’s appointment, and indeed a tacit endorsement of the new vice chancellor’s appointment by the Federal Government, normalcy may return to the institution anytime now.

A letter from the Federal Character Commission, addressed to the Registrar and Secretary to the governing council of OAU, signed by the Acting Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr B. S. Samchi, on behalf of the executive chairman, implicitly validated Salami’s appointment by issuing the registrar what it termed a ‘Certificate of Compliance’.

The certificate authorizes the registrar to issue a letter of appointment to the new vice chancellor.

It reads: “I am pleased to issue this Certificate of Compliance in your favour as authority to issue letter of appointment to Professor Ayobami Taofeek Salami as the substantive vice chancellor of the university.”

Salami has also received handover notes and has been in office for one week.