The Senate of the University of Ibadan has condemned the October 28 disruption of the council meeting by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
This is as the Senate affirmed that the processes leading up to the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor were in line with the extant laws, hence should be continued and concluded.
These were among resolutions at an extraordinary Senate meeting held on Wednesday, at International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, with 188 members of staff in attendance.
Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose who read out the meeting’s resolutions dissociated the university from the actions of SSANU and NASU, stressing that the two unions acted on their own and not on behalf of any officer or unit of the university.
The meeting particularly chided the two staff unions for disrespecting the Chairman of the council, Dr Joshua Waklek by their disruption of the October 28 council meeting.
It will be recalled that SSANU and NASU had on October 28 staged a protest around the council chambers calling for an annulment of the VC appointment process.
Led by Mr Wale Akinremi for SSANU and Mr Malachy Etim for NASU, the unions said the protest was against an alleged plan by the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka to impose one of the candidates as the next Vice-Chancellor.
With members of the union vowing not to back down on the protest, Chairman of the council, Dr Joshua Waklek had emerged from the council chambers to announce a suspension of the process.
According to Professor Bamgbose, in her address on Wednesday, the action of SSANU and NASU to stall council meeting was condemnable because unions do not have any role to play in the appointment of Vice-Chancellor.
She asserted the Senate’s confidence in the Waklek-led council as well as the process of appointing the next Vice-Chancellor of the university.
Especially, Bamgbose warned that normal University disciplinary procedures will henceforth be instituted to deal with erring staff.
The resolutions read, “The Chairman of the council has been disrespected. Senate noted that the event was unfortunate and regrettable.
“The actions by SSANU and NASU on Wednesday, 28th of October, 2020 was condemned in its strongest terms.
“The fact that unions do not have any role to play in the appointment of Vice-Chancellor.
“Senate affirms that the process of the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor, thus far, has been in line with the extant laws and it should continue and be concluded forthwith.
“Senate also affirms its confidence in the council and the process of appointing the Vice-Chancellor, thus far.
“Senate should appoint some representatives to visit the Minister of Education with a copy of the resolutions taken at the meeting today.
“The normal University disciplinary procedures should be instituted to deal with erring staff forthwith, that is, immediately and without delay.
“The petitioners should be pacified, that is Professor Peter Olapegba and Professor Ezekiel Ayoola, pending the outcome of the internal disciplinary measures.
“The University of Ibadan disassociates itself from the actions of SSANU and NASU, as they were not acting on behalf of any officer or unit of the university, neither were their actions taken in the course of their duties.”
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