VC of UNILORIN alleges mudslinging by factional ASUU

The Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali, has carpeted factional members of the institution’s chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), for allegedly engaging in a campaign of calumny against the university.

He has, however, charged affected unionists to jettison the negative attitude, and join the mainstream ASUU to uplift the institution, which is running an uninterrupted academic calendar for 17 years.

Ambali while canvassing a more proactive unionism as against “a table banging approach”, alleged that many members of the factional ASUU had been mounting pressures on him to lower the criteria for promotion for them, “but which I rebuffed referring them instead to the existing committee to that effect.”

The vice chancellor said the Afolayan-led group in collaboration with the national body of the union had on three occasions approached him for permission to hold their congresses on the campus, but which I referred them to other stakeholders of the university, who opposed the propositions, citing likely security threats.

“I had some three years ago created an avenue for them and other stakeholders to meet and resolve the issue of the venue, and other stuffs, but the attempt failed probably due to the manner of approach. I am not ASUU if other stakeholders wanted it like that so be it. They are in the minority. Later, they said they wanted to hold their congress at University of Ilorin. Again I asked them to see the stakeholders.”

Chairman of the factional ASUU, Dr. Kayode Afolayan described the allegations as untrue just as he alleged high handedness on the part of the vice chancellor, and discriminatory tendencies of the authorities of the university against some members of his group. “That is the main reason we are the ASUU recognised by the national body.”