ASUU Demands End to Victimisation of Members in Ebonyi State University

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called for an immediate halt to the alleged victimisation and dismissal of its members in various public universities, including Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki.

The Calabar Zone of ASUU made this demand during a solidarity rally at the EBSU permanent site on Tuesday. The rally was part of activities to mark "Victimised Lecturer Day."

ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Happiness Uduk, urged the authorities to end the victimisation of union members, stating that doing so would help restore peace in affected institutions. Uduk cited the case of 120 academic staff from Kogi State University, who have been dismissed since 2017 for participating in union actions advocating better welfare for lecturers.

“We are here to stand with our EBSU branch and condemn the unjust victimisation of our members. These members have faced suspensions, denial of promotions, unpaid salaries, and even dismissal for seeking better conditions in Nigerian universities,” she said.

Uduk further pointed out that the EBSU-ASUU branch chairperson, Ikechuku Igwenyi, has been suspended since 2017 without promotion and banned from the university's premises. Other members have also been subjected to suspensions and reduced salaries without due process.

Efforts to obtain comments from the management of EBSU were unsuccessful, as the institution’s spokesperson, Patrick Itumo, could not be reached.