The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has said that no fewer than 400 members of its members had been sacked by proprietors of members’ institutions, who persecuted them for fighting for their rights and interest of university system.
ASUU said, the intimidation and persecution were common in state owned institutions as governors, who are visitors to these institutions, don’t tolerate opposing views and policies, which lecturers saw as not being in the interest of education system in their respective universities.
The immediate past Chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos chapter, Dr. Dele Ashiru disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the end of Leadership Training Workshop, organised by the union for new executive of the university’s branch.
At the workshop, which was held at the ASUU auditorium, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State branch, had participants taken through topics, such as qualities required of leaders of the union for effective performances, principles of collective bargaining and negotiation.
The training also equiped participants with the requisite knowledge and skills to enhance commitment to their roles as union leaders by seasoned and former leaders of the union, including Dele Ashiru and Dr.Siji Sowande as resource persons.
While stating that the union has been standing against persecution and would continue to fight for the genuine interest of its members, Ashiru however, said the union would not tolerate any unethical behaviour from any of its members.
Ashiru said, “ASUU had been supporting their members, that were persecuted for fighting for the interest of the union and for betterment of the University system and will continue to do this if it is in collective interest.
“On the other hand, the union, had sanctioned many erring members who engaged in unethical practices and will still do so if there are confirmed infractions
“ASUU as a union, has zero tolerance for unethical practices and will continue to emphasise this to its members. The union does not tolerate indiscipline of any sort.”
Ashiru said, deliberate persecution of the union members, has affected the morale of lecturers, adding that the union often clashes with management of institutions, due to unpalatable policies of the management, which often based on political consideration.
Also speaking, Acting branch Chairman, ASUU-OOU, Dr. Wasiu Olooto, said they organised the workshop, to educate the union executive to know what is expected of them in discharging their roles and to also know their limitations while discharging their functions.
He said participants at the workshop, are expected to take the message and experience gathered to their respective offices and committee levels, for effective dissemination.
Meanwhile, the ASUU, has called on President Bola Tinubu to save the Nigerian universities from embarking another round of strike over non implementations of the 2005 Federal Governmebt – ASUU Agreement.
The coordinator of the Lagos Zone of ASUU, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, made the call at a news conference, addressed at OOU and attended by officers from the seven universities in the zone.
Odukoya said, “The deliberate refusal of the Tinubu-led Federal Government to sign and implement the concluded renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement is a criminal violation of the collective bargaining principles as enshrined in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention.
“The renegotiated agreement was concluded since 2021 after five years of renegotiation for which both Government and ASUU committed massive resources, with the hope of achieving a reversal of the dwindling fortune of our Universities as the apex agency human capacity development.
“With the deliberate refusal of the Federal Government to sign and implement the renegotiated Agreement, our members have been stretched beyond their elastic limit of patience and our union urge the Tinubu-led Federal Government to without further delay, set in motion machineries for the immediate signing and implementation of the renegotiated Agreement to avoid another round of industrial crises in our public universities.
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