ASUU Calls for Support Amid Alleged Victimization of Over 200 Members

The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the alleged victimization of more than 200 of its members across various institutions. During a press conference on Sunday, the Zonal Coordinator, Professor Oyebamiji Oyegoke, highlighted instances of unjust dismissals and withheld salaries, which, in some cases, stretch back as far as 28 months.

ASUU particularly accused the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), of targeting union members who opposed the conferment of a professorship on the former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy. Professor Oyegoke described these actions as part of a broader attack on the integrity and autonomy of Nigerian public universities, orchestrated by certain university administrators and political figures.

The Ibadan Zone, which comprises institutions such as the University of Ibadan, University of Ilorin, and Kwara State University, also reported that 120 union members were unjustly dismissed from Kogi State University for participating in a strike. Additionally, members from Ambrose Alli University (AAU) are demanding justice for 28 months of unpaid salaries and are opposing recent amendments to their Conditions of Service by a Special Intervention Team.

Professor Oyegoke emphasized the plight of ASUU members in several other universities, including Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (KSU), and Ebonyi State University (EBSU), where members have faced unlawful suspensions, withheld salaries, and denied promotions. At LASU, five union leaders were dismissed on what ASUU described as unfounded charges, despite a Visitation Panel's recommendation for their reinstatement.

“In Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), the branch secretariat remains locked, barring union members from holding meetings, while some have not received their salaries for up to 12 months,” Professor Oyegoke said. In EBSU, the administration is appealing a court ruling that favored victimized members, rather than implementing it.

ASUU has called on public figures, civil society organizations, student groups, and the media to join their demand for the reinstatement of wrongfully dismissed members and an end to the ongoing victimization. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Professor Oyegoke concluded, urging the government to adhere to the rule of law and protect the rights of university staff.