The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • Unilorin and ASUU’s ‘sanctions’

    An another desperate attempt to truncate the steady academic progress being recorded at the University of Ilorin, the National Secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has unilaterally imposed what could simply be described as ill-advised, mischievous and vexatious sanctions on this flagship of the nation’s education sector.

    Following a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, mid-January, the Union sought to ostracise the University of Ilorin from the nation’s academic community, citing flimsy and baseless “acts of lawlessness, arbitrariness, violation of human and trade union rights, and persecution of loyal members.”

    The Union alleged that “contrary to the law and despite the ruling of the National Industrial Court, the University has continued to prevent the Union from functioning on its campus.” It stated further that Unilorin “has also continued to forcefully collect check-off money from academics of the university in the name of the Union without remitting it to the Union.”

    Having charged the University with these offences and convicted it on all counts, the Union went ahead to impose the sanctions on the University administration.  According to it, “For the duration of the sanctions, academic staff of the University of Ilorin will no longer enjoy the cooperation, collaboration or participation of academics of other Nigerian public universities, in (sundry) areas of academic and related activities.” These include teaching, research and supervision of students; setting, moderating or assessment of examinations; external assessment for professional cadre appointments or promotions; sabbatical, visiting, part-time and adjunct appointments; accreditation of institutions, colleges, programmes and courses; collaborative research; attendance of learned conferences, society workshops, seminars and other related activities; peer review of journal articles and patronage of journals; and so forth.

    From the tone and intent of its unilateral ‘sanctions’, it is clear that the National ASUU is deliberately pursuing a belligerent agenda, having failed serially in its bid to hijack the Unilorin Branch of the Union for its anointed gangs, who constitute less than one percent of the academic staff of the University.

    Since the ASUU-orchestrated crisis erupted in 2001, the Union has consistently put up a belligerent posture, spurning all forms of reconciliatory moves. Its intention, since then, has been to destabilise the University of Ilorin.

    The Union unwittingly exposed its main motive with its complaint that the University has “continued to forcefully collect check-off money from academics of the university … without remitting it to the Union.” It is becoming obvious that members’ check-off dues are the main grouse. For,  in one breath, you claim you have suspended the Unilorin Branch of the Union and in another you still expect check-off due remittance from the same suspended Branch? In any case, it is on record that at the outset of the crisis, more than 95 per cent of the academic staff of the University resolved to discontinue the payment of check-off dues to ASUU National and decided, instead, to pay a percentage of their salaries as administrative charge to the local branch. This decision was duly communicated to the University management for the purpose of deducting this from source. And from this administrative charge, the ASUU leadership in the University has been able to build a befitting secretariat for the Union, a feat which was never on the agenda of the previous executive committees headed by the lackeys of these anarchists.

    Again, the allegation of lawlessness levelled against the University administration is spurious. How can Unilorin be lawless when it obeyed all court judgments and dutifully carried out the judicial order to reabsorb all the disengaged lecturers. Their accumulated salaries were paid in full despite the fact that most of them were already in regular employment in some other places.

    The call on academic staff of other public universities to boycott all Unilorin-based journals as well as the embargo on the acceptance of articles from Unilorin academics by journals of other universities for peer review and publication clearly shows the Union as simply anti-intellectual. When has trade union membership become a pre-requisite for featuring in an academic journal? Or are we now to believe that any academic, who is not an ASUU member, cannot publish in an academic journal?

    In the same vein, ASUU’s call on academics from other universities not to come to the University of Ilorin for sabbatical, visiting, part-time and adjunct appointments as well as the embargo on Unilorin academics who may want undertake similar exercises in other universities runs counter to the principle of reciprocity on which universities all over the world thrive. Not only is the University of Ilorin a hot cake, for sabbatical,  visiting, part-time and adjunct applicants, the management, as a matter of sustained policy, actively encourages its academic staff to go for these appointments even outside the country and they are widely accepted. Would these self-conceited unionists then agree to recall some of their members who are currently on sabbatical at the University of Ilorin?

    It should be pointed out that this is not the first time these people would be exhibiting their anti-intellectual stance, as they have, several times in the past, disrupted semester examinations; petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, in 2002, over allegations that the University violated academic regulations and minimum standards in the training of its medical students; unilaterally banned external examiners from moderating the final year examinations and projects of Unilorin students in 2001; and serially embarrassed members of our academic staff who went for one engagement or another in a couple of universities. All these antics were aimed at arm-twisting the University and truncating its rising profile.

    It is on record that the University administration has continued to broker peace between the local branch and the National ASUU with a view to promoting a peaceful campus and fostering harmonious management-labour relations. Times without number, successive Vice-Chancellors of the institution, and the incumbent Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali in particular, have facilitated reconciliatory meetings but as soon as the issue of popular election is mentioned and the need for both parties to go to the Congress and test their respective popularity in a popular democratic contest, the National-backed faction often balks.

    The University Management is hereby calling on the Federal Government and all lovers of education in the country to call these fellows to order because they are transgressing the limit allowed by trade unionism. They should be told in clear and unambiguous language that they do not possess the power to sanction a federal University that is being run with the tax payers’ money, a University that has contributed, in no small measure, to the upliftment of the higher education system in the country.

     

    • Akogun is the Head of Corporate Affairs Unit, University of Ilorin

  • ASUU to FG: Pay our February salary in full

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos chapter, has urged the Federal Government to pay in full the university teachers’ February salary.

    Speaking at a press briefing held at the University of Lagos (UNIILAG), on Tuesday, the Lagos Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Olusiji Sowande, said the union is unhappy with the government reduction of the February salary and should pay up the balance to avert “drastic decision from the union.”

    He said, “The February salary in particular came as a shock to us. It came with shortfall of different percentages in various universities. We think that this is not the right thing for the government to do. So we expect them to pay up the remaining balance of the February 2017 salary in order for us not to take a drastic measure to address the issue.

    “In recent times, government have been eroding and violating the 2009 ASUU- FGN agreement.  This is evident in the unilateral and gradual introduction of shortfall in salary warrants resulting in fractional payment of salaries in our universities.

    “This was experimented with few universities like UNILAG where wage bill was deliberately reduced in most parts of 2016 and the university had to source for funds to make complete payment. In February 2017, virtually all federal universities were affected with government unilaterally cutting the salaries of university workers.

    “The salary shortfall in UNILAG was N125 million and at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB), a shortfall of about N55.5 million was reported.”

    He also lamented government inadequate subvention to some universities which have forced them to tax students in order to raise funds.

     

     

  • ASUU calls on National Assembly to intervene in education sector crisis

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities
    (ASUU), Ibadan zone, on Monday called
    on the National Assembly to intervene
    in the education sector crisis to prevent
    another strike.
    Dr Ade Adejumo, the ASUU Chairman
    in the zone, made the call in a
    statement made available to newsmen
    in Ibadan.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
    reports that the Ibadan Zone of ASUU
    comprises state and federal Universities
    in Oyo, Kwara and Osun.
    According to the union, the call for the
    intervention became necessary due to
    what it termed “unfortunate trend of
    decreasing salary to public
    universities”.
    The ASUU boss said that the academic
    staff at LAUTECH, Ogbomosho, may also
    be forced to resume their suspended
    strike action.
    “This is against the backdrop of the
    demonstrated lack of commitment by
    Oyo and Osun states to fund LAUTECH
    since December, 2015.”
    Adejumo said that the union would not
    hesitate to resume its suspended action
    even in the midst of the ongoing
    examination in the institution.
    While citing the example of the
    University of Ibadan, Adejumo said that
    the premier university had in the last
    two months, experienced a shortfall in
    salaries as a result of incomplete
    subvention.
    The Ibadan zone ASUU urged the
    National Assembly to intervene to avert
    unnecessary crisis in the education
    sector.
    Adejumo stressed the need for the state
    governments within Ibadan zone to live
    up to the responsibility of funding their
    universities.
    He also called on the Federal
    Government to probe the allegations of
    fraud against the present and past
    administrations at the University of
    Ilorin.
    “The recent revelations of monumental
    fraud and mind bugging nepotistic
    manipulations in the University of
    Ilorin vindicate our petitions to the
    Federal Government.
    “The Federal Government is hereby
    called upon to show more than a
    passing interest in probing the activities
    of the past and present administrations
    of the university.
    “This is very important given the
    present government’s avowed zero-
    tolerance for corruption.
    “The Unilorin matter provides a litmus
    test for this government to prove that it
    is serious about its fight against
    graft,” Adejumo said.

  • ASUU threatens to close universities

    ASUU threatens to close universities

    ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the weekend warned federal and state universities risk closure following lack of prompt payment of salaries.
    Speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Port Harcourt zone of ASUU said the zone was the worst hit with shortfall in salaries and unpaid salary arrears.
    The institutions in the zone are the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State.
    ASUU zonal coordinator, Prof. Beke Sese, said lecturers would no longer continue to endure the situations against the backdrop of current economic hardship.
    Sese described the idea of withholding staff salaries while establishing new universities at the same time as the height of irresponsibility and wickedness.
    He said: ”Our members are being compelled by the actions and inactions of government to contemplate the hard decision of withdrawing our services.
    ”We call on the students, parents, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and request the federal as well as state governments to live up to their responsibilities in the universities to avoid the imminent and avoidable closure of our campuses.”
    The professor lamented the federal government and some state governments last year enforced a policy of starvation in universities by either paying fractional salaries or outright non-payment of salaries.
    He said academic institutions had become the major recipients of ”this inhuman and abhorrent policy of starvation,” adding at the Niger Delta University (NDU), lecturers were not paid salaries for a period of six months.
    He lamented that lecturers could no longer cope with caring for their families, paying their children’s school fees and meeting other commitments with such imposed deficit in their income.
    Sese said: ”That academic activities still go on at NDU in the face of this extreme deprivation, is indeed, an exemplary demonstration of patriotism, patience and unbridled commitment to service by members.
    “But the elasticity definitely has a limit and should not be stretched any further.
    ”In both RSUST and IAUE, the government of the state has withheld union check-offs, which by interpretation is tantamount to paying fractional salaries.
    ”In the case of UNIPORT, fractional salaries were paid throughout last year and when there was hope of the refund of the withheld portion of salaries, the government resumed its policy of paying part salaries.
    ”The administration of the school claimed that there was shortfall in allocation to the institution between July 2016 and December 2016, but shortfall was part of the staff emolument all through the year (2016).”

  • ASUU warns of imminent closure of universities

    ASUU warns of imminent closure of universities

    …Says govt starving workers

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), at the weekend, said universities owned by federal and state governments were faced with imminent closure following lack of prompt payment of staff salaries.

    Speaking at a press conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Port Harcourt Zone of ASUU said its zone was the worst hit with the issues of shortfall in salaries and unpaid salary arrears.

    The institutions in the zone are the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State; Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State; Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State; and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State.

    In the news conference titled, ‘Shortfall and drawback of university staff salaries’, the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Prof. Beke Sese, said lecturers would no longer continue to endure the situations against the backdrop of current economic hardship in Nigeria.

    Sese described the idea of withholding university staff salaries while establishing new universities at the same time as the height of irresponsibility and wickedeness.

    He said:”Our members are being compelled by the actions and inactions of government to contemplate the hard decision of withdrawing our services.

    ”We call on the students, parents, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and request the federal as well as state governments to live up to their responsibilities in the universities to avoid the imminent and avoidable closure of our campuses.”

    The professor lamented that last year, the Federal Government and some state governments enforced a policy of starvation in the universities by either paying fractional salaries or outright non-payment of salaries.

    He said academic institutions had become the major recipients of ”this inhuman and abhorrent policy of starvation”, adding that at the Niger Delta University (NDU), lecturers were not paid salaries for a period of six months.

    He lamented that lecturers could no longer cope with caring for their families, paying their children’s school fees and meeting other commitments with such imposed deficit in their income.

    Sese said: ”That academic activities still go on at NDU in the face of this extreme deprivation, is indeed, an exemplary demonstration of patriotism, patience and unbridled commitment to service by members. But the elasticity definitely has a limit and should not be stretched any further.

    ”In both RSUST and IAUE, the government of the state has withheld union check-offs, which by interpretation is tantamount to paying fractional salaries.

    ”In the case of Uniport, fractional salaries were paid throughout last year and when there was hope of the refund of the withheld portion of salaries, the government resumed its policy of paying part salaries.

    ”The administration of the school claimed that there was shortfall in allocation to the institution between July 2016 and December 2016, but shortfall was part of the staff emolument all through the year (2016).”

    In his brief remarks, Chairman, NDU, ASUU, Dr. Stanley Ogoun, said since the suspension of their strike last year, the union had engaged in continuous dialogue and interraction with the Bayelsa State Government.

    But he said that if at the end of the day, all their negotiations with the government failed, the branch might be compelled to sit back at home.

    He said: ”But let me correct an impression: there are sister unions within the university system. Often times, when other unions are on strike, but because ASUU appears to be more popular among them, it is assumed ASUU is on strike. As we speak, other unions in NDU are on strike, not ASUU.”

  • ASUU to commence warning strike in UI Friday

    ASUU to commence warning strike in UI Friday

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Ibadan Chapter, says it is awaiting the approval of its national body to embark on a one-week warning strike.

    The union, at an emergency meeting presided over by its Chairman, Dr Deji Omole, on Wednesday in Ibadan, threatened to proceed on an indefinite strike to protest illegal pension deductions and shortfall of salaries.

    Omole gave the management up to March 10, to address the issues or face an indefinite strike.

    ASUU asked the Governing Council to mandate the Vice-Chancellor to present to the staff unions the budget, detailing the personnel cost, capital and recurrent expenditures as presented to the university Senate.

    According to the union, all joint unions of the institution are convinced that pension’s deductions hitherto are illegal, the university must be refunded since 2004.

    “While ASUU awaits the approval of the national body of the union to proceed on its strike, its Non Academic Staff counterparts have also resolved to proceed on an indefinite strike unless the issues are resolved favorably.

    “Failure to implement all the items stated above by Friday, the staff unions in the university, arising from the warning strike earlier issued in August, 2016, will embark on an indefinite strike,” Omole said.

     

  • UNILORIN, ASUU: Uneding rift

    UNILORIN, ASUU: Uneding rift

    Two lecturers of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) have accused the institution of victimising them because of their relationship with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). But, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, says they are being punished for alleged misconduct, reports ADEKUNLE JIMOH and Kofoworola Belo-Osagie.

    There seems to be no end to the disaffection between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) management.

    Since the sack of 49 lecturers of the university for heeding the union’s call for a nationwide strike in 2001, there has been no love lost between the university and ASUU. The union’s national leadership and a faction of its local chapter, have not been seeing eye to eye with the institution.

    Two lecturers, Dr. Kayode Afolayan of the Department of English, and Dr. Solomon Oyelekan of the Department of Science Education, who are chairman and secretary of the faction loyal to the national ASUU body, have been suspended.

    While the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, said their suspension was due to cases of indiscipline, insubordination and dereliction of duty, the duo claimed that they were victimised because of their petitions accusing him of fraud. The petitions were sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

    At a press conference last week, Ambali denied claims that the lecturers were suspended because of their petitions against him.

    He accused them of trying to destabilise the peace on campus by inciting students against management.  He also claimed they had queries to answer before they were suspended.

    The VC said: “The suspension of the two academic staff purporting to be factional leaders of UNILORIN ASUU is the normal university’s regulation. If somebody is trying to cause disaffection within the university system, he has to face the music. One of the persons had two queries before his suspension. Their suspension had nothing to do with the last move they made.

    “The crux of the matter is centered on insubordination by the staff concerned. Because the university has its own code of conduct for all its staff including all principal officers and the vice chancellor.

    “The suspended staff had even tried to use students to distabilise the university system, but God so kind because of the nature of the students and the staff that we have sanity has been prevailing.”

    Ambali claimed that the lecturers started spreading false rumours because they failed to gain control of the university’s chapter of the union after the UNILORIN 49 were recalled following a court victory in 2009.

    “All those allegations are aimed at causing disaffection which they had tried to do in the last two years. If you could recollect they had wanted to take UNILORIN along at their levels, when we opened our doors for them to come in. Unfortunately things didn’t go the way they wanted it. Because of that they started blowing false whistles. It is not every referee that blows whistle that is talking sense. So we have to be very careful,” he said.

    However, when contacted on Tuesday, the ASUU leaders told The Nation that they were not guilty of insubordination.

    Afolayan said the duo had taken their protest against the suspension to the university’s governing council as well as the national ASUU leadership.

    “As chairman of ASUU in UNILORIN, we have informed council about the development. Our union at the national level will follow up on this soon,” he said.

    Afolayan added that the allegations of insubordination and dereliction of duty against them were not stated in the queries they were given.  He noted that the reason behind their suspension had to do with their ASUU roles.

    “They are saying we have been suspended for insubordination, not attending classes, trying to cause disaffection on campus etc. But we know that there is nothing that disconnects the suspension from our activities as legal representatives of ASUU in UNILORIN and our protests against the breaches, entrenched culture of impunity, graft and corruption in the University of Ilorin,” he said.

    Afolayan added that part of the reason for the suspension was related to the duo questioning the alleged unjustified promotion of the Vice Chancellor’s wife, also a lecture in the university.

    He said: “I am sure you are aware that before now we had written petitions to the EFCC, ICPC, CCB and the visitor of the University of Ilorin protesting the monumental fraud, corruption, impunity, nepotism and other grievous breaches going on in the University of Ilorin.

    “However, on the 6th of February, 2017, we wrote a letter to the University council, of which the vice- chancellor was copied, protesting a classic case of fraud, indecency and nepotism involving the vice chancellor and his wife, Dr. Mrs Taiwo Toyin Ambali.

    “What happened was that the VC brought his wife in 2015 and gave her a temporary appointment and placed her on lecturer 1 step 7. Then about a year after, in 2016, she was promoted to a senior lecturer. By the regulation of UNILORIN, promotion is not countenanced until after three years. Now what the VC did was to set up a special panel after all those who qualified in her faculty, the faculty of education had been, taken. And as a union we wrote asking council to reverse this anomaly.

    “The same day, the 6th, after we had submitted the letter, the VC through the Registrar gave us a query, of a 48 hour ultimatum, alleging that myself, the Chairperson of ASUU, Unilorin, and the Secretary of the Union in the branch, Dr. Solomon Oyelekan circulated a leaflet on ’30th January or thereabout’ and that the intention was to disrupt the peace of the school among others.

    “The following day, 7th February, we replied asking for the title of the leaflet and a copy of the leaflet as these were neither stated nor attached to the letters of query.  To our surprise, we were suspended even before the end of the ultimatum!”

    However, reacting to the claim that his wife was unqualified, Ambali said her promotion was approved by the appropriate committee.

    “My wife commenced her career at the University of Maiduguri as a Lecturer II officer in 2006 and was promoted to Lecturer I in 2009. She later transferred her service to the University of llorin and was recently promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer by the Appointment and Promotion Committee (AP&C).  This act was sequel to the approval of both the Department and Faculty management teams,” he said.

    Reacting to the lecturers’ suspension, the National ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, accused the university of having something to hide and suppressing inquiries into anomalies in its operations.

    Ogunyemi told The Nation on phone on Tuesday that the university’s operation ought to be probed by the Federal Government.

    He said: “UNILORIN is noted for acts of impunity; so what they have done does not come as a surprise.

    “The VC came out on national TV to say the lecturers in question were acting in a way to disrupt the peace on campus. If somebody is saying someone is promoting bad blood there is more to it.  What are the people saying and what actions have been taken to probe what they are saying?

    “We have reason to believe that UNILORIN has a lot to hide.  They don’t want to encourage openness, probity and transparency.

    “These two men are the chairman and secretary of ASUU in the university recognised by the national body.  They have raised questions about the lack of transparency and because the university does not want to respond, they chose to send them away from campus.  They are not the only one with questions – they were just the bold ones – but others are being suppressed.

    “Government needs to go into the university and look into the operations of that university critically.  For many years, the university has been encouraging the operation of an illegal union that calls itself ASUU but not recognised by us.  The university has been collecting money in the name of ASUU and giving it to another group not recognised by the union,” he said.

     

  • Return of Agric Varsity ASUU ‘hero’

    Return of Agric Varsity ASUU ‘hero’

    There was jubilation at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) last week, following the reinstatement of its Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chairman, Dr Uzochukwu Onyebinama. ASUU described his recall as a step in the right direction, reports UGOCHUKWU UGOJI-EKE (Umuahia).

    Almost one year after his dismissal, Dr Uzochukwu Onyebinama former chairman of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) Academic Staff  Union of Universities has been reinstated. There was jubilation in the school last week following his return.

    The MOUAU-ASUU alleged that Onyebinama was unjustly dismissed by the Prof Hilary Edeoga-led administration on February 26, 2016.

    He was indicted by the university’s Investigation and Disciplinary Committee for alleged academic fraud, extortion of students, immorality, indecency and disrespect for constituted authority, among others.”

    To celebrate his return, the union held a special congress at Liman Hall. It described  Onyebinama’s reinstatement move as the end of corruption, academic impunity, financial recklessness, exploitation and oppression of staff and students.

    The special congress, attended by branches comprising the ASUU Owerri Zone, was led by the Zonal Co-ordinator, Prof Ike Odimegwu.

    The ASUU members danced round major colleges of the institution and sang solidarity songs to welcome Onyebinama.

    They praised the Vice Chancellor, Prof Francis Ogbonnaya Otunta and members of the Senate for recalling Onyebinama.

    There was no love lost between Edeoga and ASUU during his tenure. In 2015, their relationship went awry and the union petitioned the Federal Government to investigate him.

    The union accused Edeoga of extortion fraud appointment of academic staff by patronage, running of unapproved programmes, collection of application fees for appointment, and over-enrolment of students.

    Ordering a probe into the allegations, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, at the 7th convocation of the university said: “Government is aware of the misunderstanding between the university management and ASUU, which is the reason a ministerial committee has been set up to investigate the matter and submit its report within 10 days”.

    Parents also petitioned the Governing Council led by Prof Anya O. Anya, accusing Edeoga of extorting their children.

    In a statement signed by Obinna Nwosu and Tony Okoro, they claimed that they were harassed for standing up for the truth.

    “When we openly demonstrated against the academic and financial fraud in the university, the management arrested some of us and tortured us in their secret chambers until the police rescued us, some of the scandalous activities we complained against have been thriving since then.

    “We are appearing before the Senate…to defend our petition against Edeoga because our children have really suffered under this man who has compromised the standard of education,” they claimed.

    At the special congress, Odimegwu, who expressed delight at Onyebinama’s reinstatement, described him as “a hero”.

    He recalled that on February last year, his members gathered at the same venue to condemn what he called Edeoga’s acts of impunity which he noted should not be part of the learning environment.

    The ASUU chieft claimed that  under Edeoga the university used thugs to throw tear gas at them, noting that, less than a year after  they were back at the same university to celebrate the return of their chairman.

    He faulted Edeoga’s “high-handedness”, alleging that he institutionalised corruption in the university in all areas of academic, moral and social lives.

    Odimegwu said: “Sadly, after commending the chairperson for doing well, a week later, he suspended him and came up with trumped-up charges, brought in traders as professors and when we asked why he took offence. It led to the eventual dismissal of our Comrade Chairperson.”

    He described Onyebinama’s recall by the Senate as a recall for justice, “a recall for the right thing that must be done, and the end of corruption in the citadel of learning”. He praised Otunta, the VC for recalling Onyebinama.

    Charles Ononuju, National Investment Secretary of ASUU, said they were happy Onyebinama was recalled unconditionally.

    Ononuju, the immediate past Chairman of ASUU-MOUAU said many things went wrong during Edeoga’s tenure.

    He said: “We said there must be sanctity and that was why our chairperson was dismissed, so many of our members queried him (Edeoga).  Now that he (Onyebinama) has come back, he should continue with his good work.”

    Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, National ASUU Vice President, who teaches at MOUAU, alleged that Edeoga mismanaged the university and exploited students.

    The former VC, he alleged “employed charlatans as lecturers, admitted over 40,000 students and when we queried some of his excesses which were against the rules of the university, he took offence and this ultimately led to the dismissal of our chairperson.”

    Osodeke praised ASUU forinsisting on the right things.

    He also praised Otunta for running the institution in line with the rules.

    In his reaction to his reinstatement, Onyebinama said: “I give God all the glory for my recall after more than one year of victimisation for leading a union – ASUU MOUAU – that insisted the university should be administered on the basis of established rules, regulations and procedures. Prof Hilary Edeoga the former vice chancellor ran an administration characterised by impunity and falsehood. We thank God for the new vice chancellor Prof Francis Otunta for taking measures to cleanse MOUAU. ASUU MOUAU has resolved to solidly support all the efforts being made by the vice chancellor to redeem MOUAU and restore its lost glory.”

    Contacted, Edeoga told our reporter that he would not comment because he is no longer the VC while directing all inquiries to the new VC. He directed The Nation to his successor.

     

  • Fed Govt, ASUU begins 2009 renegotiation agreement

    Fed Govt, ASUU begins 2009 renegotiation agreement

    THE Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to re-negotiate the 2009 FGN/University Based Staff Unions Agreement.
    Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, who performed the inauguration yesterday in Abuja, said it was done in demonstration of the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises.
    Adamu said the team for the re-negotiation with unions from the polytechnics and colleges of education would soon be constituted as their respective governing councils are being put in place.
    The minister said: “The inauguration of the re-negotiation team is significant as it confirms to the unions that government is committed to keeping its own side of the promise.
    “It wants to ensure that an environment that is conducive for teaching, learning, research and community service is engendered through lasting industrial harmony in our tertiary institutions.
    “Today’s inauguration kick-starts our drive for re-negotiation across the three segments of the tertiary education sub-sector – universities, polytechnics and colleges of education – starting with universities.
    “The administration in the ministry and the administration in the country does not consider the unions as enemies or even opponents. As I have always said, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) and all others are patriotic people who are very concerned about education because what they are struggling for is not for their personal glory or gain. Therefore, you should be facing friends who are interested in education as you are.”
    Chairman of the committee Dr. Wale Babalakin said a conducive environment in the tertiary institutions would be the bedrock for growth of a nation’s intelligentsia.
    Babalakin, who assured the minister that the committee would rise beyond expectations for the growth of tertiary education, appealed to the members to ensure that the task was not underestimated, but carried out with the commitment of all.

  • FG, ASUU begins 2009 renegotiation agreement

    FG, ASUU begins 2009 renegotiation agreement

    The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to re-negotiate the 2009 FGN/ University Based Staff Unions Agreement.

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who performed the inauguration on Monday in Abuja, said the inauguration of the 14-man committee was done in demonstration of the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises.

    Adamu said that the team for the re-negotiation with unions from the polytechnics and colleges of education would soon be constituted as their respective Governing Councils are being put in place.

    The minister said: “The inauguration of the re-negotiation team is significant as it confirms to the unions that government is committed to keeping its own side of the promise.

    “It wants to ensure that an environment that is conducive for teaching, learning, research and community service is engendered through lasting industrial harmony in all our tertiary institutions.

    “Today’s inauguration kick-starts our drive for re-negotiation across the three segments of the tertiary education sub-sector –universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, starting with universities.

    “The administration in the ministry and the administration in the country does not consider the unions enemies or even opponents. As I have always said, ASUU, NASU, NATE and all other are patriotic people who are very concerned about education because what they are struggling for is not for their personal glory or gain. Therefore, you should be facing friends who are interested in education as you are.”

    In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Wale Babalakin, said a conducive environment in the tertiary institutions was the bedrock for development of a nation’s intelligentsia.

    Babalakin, who assured the minister that the committee would rise beyond expectations for the furtherance of tertiary education in Nigeria, appealed to the members to ensure that the task is not underestimated but carried out with the commitment of all to enhance education in Nigeria.

    “A conducive environment in the tertiary institutions is the bedrock for development of a nation’s intelligentsia. A nation’s development can be seriously enhanced by the active participation of the intelligence in the pursuit of the country’s developmental goals.

    “We want to also assure you that we intend to rise even beyond your expectations for the furtherance of tertiary education in Nigeria. This task should not be underestimated but with the commitment of all, we will provide a very serious enhancement for education in Nigeria,” he said.