ASUU Protests Planned Termination Of Appointments In LASU

ASUU Protests Planned Termination Of Appointments  In LASU

Members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday stormed the Governor’s office in Lagos to urge Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to set up a visitation panel on the alleged plan by the management of the Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo, to terminate appointment of three of its members at LASU Chapter unjustly.

The Protesters, in their hundreds, carried placards with various inscriptions such as “Dr. Fagbohun is a political professor,” “ Gov. Ambode set up a visitation panel for LASU now”, “Fagbohun is a packaged Professor”, “ASUU is for peace and justice” among others.

Speaking at the protest ground, The Lagos zone coordinator of ASUU, Professor Sowande Olusiji gave the names of the concerned ASUU-LASU members as Dr Tony Dansu, Dr Adeolu Oyekan and Dr Oluwafemi Aboderin-Shonibare, who are secretary, assistant secretary and treasurer respectively, saying the management was planning to sack them for allegedly exposing a document that unduly backdated the promotion of the incumbent vice-chancellor, Prof Olarenwaju Fagbohun, from the associate level to full-fledged professor.

Prof. Olusiji, who is in solidarity with the so-called victimised members, said the Vice-Chancellor went ahead to invite the three people to join Senate Council Disciplinary Committee, noting that it is his conviction that the intervention of the Governor, whom he described as visitor, would go a long way in resolving the matter.

“It is unfortunate to be here today because if all our letters have been acted upon, we wouldn’t have been here. A year ago, this sort of issue happened and this attendant effect is huge on the academic situation.

 “The Council has been asked to investigate the issue but it has not yielded any result and instead of that, the VC went ahead to invite the three people to join senate council disciplinary committee.

“If the council is handicapped, we know we have a visitor that can investigate the council matter. That’s why we are here to call on the visitor to send a disciplinary panel to LASU to unravel this mess” he said.

 Also speaking Professor Alex Odili pointed out that the protest is a total representation of the four zones of the national body, noting that the management of the school has embarked upon systematic decimation of the Union.

“We are here to tell the Governor that the harassment of our colleagues must stop. We want this government to look into it. The last administration of the Vice-Chancellor was of crisis and he is at it again.

“We believe that it is in that visitation that this matter will be resolved “ he said.

Odili expressed optimism that there would be an action from the government on LASU in the shortest time, adding that no university should be brought down.

Responding to the demands of the Union, The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour matters, Mr Babatunde Oladeinde, who represented the Governor of the state, said that the governor is not keeping quiet over the matter, adding that he would visit LASU to address the issue.