ASUU takes on Kogi, Lagos varsities over sack of members

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Abuja zone, has taken a swipe on the governments of Kogi and Lagos states and their universities for their un-restrained interference in the affairs of the institutions and the wanting termination of the employments of bonafide members of the academic staff

Addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, the Abuja zonal coordinator, Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said it was an act of wickedness for Kogi state with a monthly revenue accruals of N8 billion to sack or owe workers salary which was just around N4.8 billion.
He further criticized the inability of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to pay workers salary in the state despite the huge monthly revenue of N8bn accruing to the state.

While alleging that Governor Bello refused to obey a court order to reinstate the 135 lecturers of Kogi State University, Anyingba, who were sacked about four months ago, the union described the sack of the seasoned academic staff of the state university as uncalled for, given its immediate and long term consequence.

He said “Prior to the insane mass sack of lecturers, the Kogi State University, Anyingba had academic staff strength of less than four hundred, forcing it to rely heavily on visiting and adjunct lecturers for its main academic business’’.
“This depletion in the core and regular academic staff strength means nothing but doom for all academic programmes mounted by the university.

“Academic activities in the university are currently being carried out by low profiled, inexperienced staff, assisted by members of the National Youth Service Corps and technologists’’.
“This mass sack shall have grave implications for accreditation and even current quality of graduates and their employability’’.

The union also regretted that after it had sought and obtained a court order restraining Kogi State government from sacking the staff and ordering a return to status quo ante in the case of these 135 sacked lecturers, the governor had remained adamant, and therefore appealed to people of goodwill and the federal government to help call the governor to order

The union also accused the Governor of Lagos State; Akinwumi Ambode of unnecessary interference in the affairs of the state owned university and witch-hunting in the sack of two senior ASUU members namely: the Chairperson of ASUU-LASU, Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi and his Vice, Dr Adebowale Adeyemi –Suenu

Augustine Okezie, Abuja