The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Sunday, raised the alarm that more than 200 of its members are being victimized through unjust termination of appointments and the deliberate refusal to pay them owed salaries.

The union accused the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) of victimizing members of the union for opposing the award of professorship to former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami.

This was disclosed in a press conference addressed by the Ibadan Zonal Coordinator, Professor Oyebamiji Oyegoke, where he raised alarm that the “onslaught by some elements of the Nigerian state in its quest to destroy what is left of Nigerian public universities has not abated,” adding that the latest onslaughts are now from visitors and university administrators.

The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities comprises the University of Ibadan, Ibadan; University of Ilorin, Ilorin; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; Osun State University, Osogbo; Kwara State University, Malete; and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo.

According to Prof. Oyegoke, over 120 members of the union were unjustly sacked at Kogi State University, Anyigba, for participating in a strike, while at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, ASUU members are demanding justice for 28 months of unpaid salaries and are opposing undue amendments of Conditions of Service by the Special Intervention Team and the rejection of notional promotion of members.

He added, “More specifically, we frowned at the interminable calamities being meted out to our members at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo; Kogi State University (KSU); Ebonyi State University (EBSU); Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma (AAUE), Edo State; Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State; and the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, and other campuses where our members are being unlawfully suspended, unjustly diminished, denied promotion, and salaries withheld for insisting on the rule of law and defending the autonomy status of universities. It is unfortunate that the situation has not changed, hence, the need for reinstating our patriotic opposition to the odious state of affairs in the aforementioned universities. As the saying goes, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’”

At Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo, Professor Adegoke disclosed that “five of our members, the Union’s branch Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and Treasurer, were dismissed on trumped-up charges such as insistence on adherence to the rule of law and asking for well-deserved promotion. It’s been seven years since the travails commenced and have not abated despite the fact that the Visitation Panel set up by the Visitor to LASU, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, absolved our members and called for their unconditional reinstatement.”

In Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, the branch secretariat is locked, and our members are not allowed to hold regular congress meetings on the campus as if the right to freedom of assembly and association is not sine qua non under the Nigerian Constitution. To worsen the situation, salaries of our members, up to 12 months, are withheld for keeping faith with ASUU’s adherence to due process and academic freedom. In Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, instead of the university administration implementing the court judgment that was in favour of our victimized members, the university has resorted to appealing the judgment which favoured our members, hoping to prolong and protract the inevitable triumph of good over evil.”

The union appealed to “opinion leaders, traditional and religious leaders, media, labor movements, student groups, and civil society organizations to demand from concerned university administrations, governing councils, and visitors an immediate reinstatement of all our members that were wrongly sacked; stoppage of all forms of victimization of our members; and putting an end to unconstitutional and gross abuse of power. Adherence to the rule of law should not be in the saying but must be by action.”