Prof Ogunyemi’s tenure ends as ASUU president, says 30 members lost to COVID-19 pandemic

The outgoing National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, on Friday, said about 30 members of the union including branch officers lost their lives to COVID-19 related complications.

Ogunyemi disclosed this at the ongoing 21st ASUU National Delegates Conference/Official commissioning of ASUU-UNIZIK Secretariat held at the new Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State.

He described one of those who contracted COVID-19, Professor Femi Odekunle, as a good friend of the union and former member of the Federal Government team on the renegotiation committee of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.

On the State of the Union, Ogunyemi said in spite of daunting challenges, “our union has continued to wax stronger by each day.

“The doggedness, persistence and perseverance of our members in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU); Federal University, Lokoja (FULOKOJA), Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Lagos State University (LASU) and other universities where vice-chancellors became those Festus Iyayi called ‘campus tyrants’ are beginning to yield some positive results.

“We must equally keep tabs on pledges of accountability, transparency, respect for rules and procedures, and prioritization of staff welfare by new helmsmen and helmswomen in all our universities,” he added.

The outgoing ASUU boss revealed that in line with the provisions of ASUU Constitution, “we are here to review our activities in the last three years with a view to charting a new course at this critical juncture of our national life.”

He thanked the host UNIZIK VC, Professor Charles Esimone, for contributing the sum of N5 million for the completion of the secretariat.