The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Calabar zone, has condemned the sacking of 135 lecturers of Kogi State University, Ayangba and proscription of the Union (ASUU) by Governor of the state, Alh. Yahaya Bello.
The Union described the action of the governor as an executive recklessness.
A statement released in Calabar on Tuesday and signed by the zonal coordinator of the union, Prof. Nsing Ogar, and seven other chairmen of universities in the zone, lamented the action of the governor as capable of throwing the education system into crisis.
According to the release, the termination of appointment of about 135 lecturers by the governor and the non-payment of workers’ salaries were a reflection of the state failure, appealing to well-meaning people to rein in on the governor.
“We had expected the governor to hearken to the numerous calls from well meaning Nigerians and take the honourable path of maturely engaging the intellectual workers by addressing their legitimate concerns,” the statement noted.
While describing the action of the governor as monumental injustice and scotch-earth tactics, ASUU warned that the situation was capable of creating crisis in a sector which governments all over the world were willing to invest more in.
The union, however, said the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Lanre Adigun Fagbohun was on a war of attrition with members of the union, saying from the information at its disposal, the Vice Chancellor was out to punish the lecturers.
“The latest in the Vice Chancellor’s onslaught is the purported dismissal of the Chairman, Vice Chairman and their strong members of ASUU LASU on spurious charges,” the statement added.
It recalled that the branch chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi, was framed up, “for the simple reason that the union is taking a principled position against the excesses of the management of the institution and brazen violation of the rules.”
ASUU, therefore, appealed to prominent Nigerians to intervene in the situation as the education system in the country does not need the crisis it is currently undergoing.
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