The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), an umbrella body for university lecturers in Nigeria, has imposed fresh sanctions on Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, over what it described as the authorities' failure to remove its “unjustly” sacked leaders from the campus seven years after.
ASUU, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Lagos zone and signed by the zonal coordinator, Adelaja Odukoya, listed the new sanctions which include prohibition of any of its members from dealing officially with the institution, whether as external examiners or for conference or sabbatical purposes.
The union also accused Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of being behind the authorities' failure to resolve the crisis seven years later, alleging that the governor unilaterally prohibited the institution's governing council from implementing its resolution to remove the sacked teachers.
Among the affected lecturers were the then President and Vice President of ASUU University Chapter, Isaac Oyewumi and Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu respectively.
The rest are Tony Dansu, Adeolu Oyekan and Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, also members of the union's executive committee on campus.
Sanctions
According to the statement, the new sanctions are just part of the measures the union is taking to ensure the return of the dismissed teachers, insisting that their dismissal was “unfair and illegal.”
“Furthermore, all members of our union have been banned from having any relationship with LASU or its staff members until further notice. There will be no external examinations, conferences, sabbatical exchanges or any other form of collaboration with LASU. This is the first in a series of steps we intend to take to ensure justice for our members,” reads part of the statement.
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ASUU said sanctions that had been earlier imposed on the university during the administration of the university's previous Vice Chancellor, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, were lifted following the emergence of Mr Fagbohun's successor and the current Vice Chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello.
The union said the university authorities' commitment to find an amicable solution to the matter prompted the professors to withdraw their cases against the university from the court.
“It has become clear that the powers that be in Lagos State take for granted the good faith our union has shown in relaxing the enforcement of its sanctions against LASU under the new administration. It also amounts to a betrayal of trust to have brought about a pause in the resolution of cases through the courts with the promise of an out-of-court settlement, only to freeze the same process at the very moment of implementing the decision of the Governing Council. It is a tactic to delay the process of justice and impose more unnecessary suffering on our members,” the union further noted.
Sanwo-Olu's alleged guilt
According to ASUU, Mr Sanwo-Olu, in his capacity as Visitor of the university, has been indifferent to the plight of the dismissed lecturers, “despite repeated appeals”. It claims that instead of intervention by the governor, he has allegedly orchestrated the continued victimisation of the lecturers.
“Since then till now, ASUU has made several appeals to Governor Sanwo-Olu as Visitor of LASU to publish the White Paper of the visit, and also lift the inexplicable embargo on the retirement of our unjustly dismissed comrades, based on their exoneration by the Governing Council,” the union said.
The union added that the good faith shown by his union in relaxing the implementation of its sanctions against LASU under the new administration is taken for granted by the powers that be in Lagos State.
“It also amounts to a betrayal of trust to have brought about a pause in the resolution of cases in court with the promise of an out-of-court settlement, only to freeze the same process at the very moment of implementing the Governing Council’s decision. It is a tactic to delay the process of justice and impose further unnecessary suffering on our members.”
ASUU wrote: “Based on what we know, the Governing Council (of the university), on February 23, 2022, examined the report of its Complaints Committee and concluded that the dismissals were unfair. It ordered the immediate reinstatement of the five ASUU officials. However, the following day, news spread that Alausa (Governing Secretary) had ordered the University Administration to suspend the implementation of the decision of the Council. The alleged reason was that the issues were also brought before the Visitation Panel set up by the Visitor. The Panel completed its work in February 2022 and submitted the report in September of the same year.
“Since then till now, ASUU has made several appeals to Governor Sanwo-Olu, in his capacity as Visitor of LASU, to publish the Visitation White Paper and also lift the inexplicable embargo on the dismissal of our unjustly dismissed comrades, based on his exoneration by the Governing Council. Unfortunately, the Visitor’s position has been one of indifference. Questions that require answering at this juncture include: what are the offences of ASUU leaders against Governor Sanwo-Olu, especially in LASU? What interests is Governor Sanwo-Olu protecting by preventing these men and women from returning to their jobs? How does the Governor relate this unacceptable deprivation of the livelihood of ASUU-LASU leaders to his pro-workers mantra?”
The union therefore urged the governor to release the white paper on the college visitation panel's report, saying the public whose tax money was used to assign the panel the task deserves the right to know the details of the reports.
Background story
The five affected professors were dismissed for various reasons by the university management in 2017 and 2018, leading to an open conflict between the union and the university management.
Upon completion of Mr Fagbohun's five-year term as VC and the assumption of office by Ms Olatunji-Bello, the new governing board took steps to reinstate the dismissed teachers.
However, although the governing council announced its reinstatement in February 2022, within 24 hours it revoked the decision and embargoed its implementation until further notice.
However, ASUU has accused the governor of being responsible for reversing the decision, questioning the logic behind it.