The national body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) has again dissociated itself from the incumbent officers of the union in Lagos State University( LASU), Ojo, branch, saying they are not recognised by the union.
The Lagos Zone coordinator of ASUU, who is a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta(FUNAAB), Professor Olusiji Sowande, gave this position in a statement and also in a follow-up exclusive interview with Tribune Online, on Thursday.
According to him, ASUU at the zone and national levels had made it clear all along that those who are parading themselves as ASUU officers at LASU and led by one Dr Ibrahim Bakare are not legally recognised because everything that followed their purported election was alien to the constitution of the ASUU.
“They should therefore stop parading themselves as ASUU officers,” he stressed.
Professor Sowande explained that this renewed position of the union became imperative to let the general public know that Bakare-led executive is not at any time supported let alone authorised by ASUU national to pursue any course in the name of the association.
“We’re not saying they can’t pursue any course or adopt any style of their own including the declaration of industrial action to achieve their aims, but they can’t do that in ASUU’s name not only because they were not legally constituted, but more so that we are still recognised our officers that the school purportedly sacked.”
He said the union believed and convinced that Dr Isaac Oyewumi-led executive members, majority of whom the university authorities terminated their appointment with the school one after the other over various alleged fraudulent practices were unjustly sacked.
“Therefore to us, they are still our officers in LASU moreso that their case is still pending in court and so we shall continue to recognise and relate with them until the court proves them guilty,” he maintained.
Reacting to the position, the head of Information, press and public affairs of LASU, Mr Ademola Adekoya, said the issues concerning ASUU as a union in LASU, especially as regards its leadership composition and activities are not the concern of the school management let alone its business.
But at the same time, he explained, as far as LASU is concerned, the people, who ASUU national are claiming to be its recognised officers in LASU had long been relieved of their appointments with the university by the authorities and therefore are no longer members of staff of LASU.
“And the new officers on the ground led by Dr Ibrahim Bakare are those the school is known to have been elected by the congress of the union to lead them and to the best of management knowledge, the congress of the union at LASU has not said otherwise.
“So, there is no way the school authorities would continue to relate with people who have been sacked and are outside the system at the expense of Bakare-led executive who are the choice of the lecturers in the system,” he emphasised.
