Kogi State University
(KSU) chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dragged
Governor Yahaya Bello to court over the ban on its activities within the
university.
http://dailypost.ng/2017/10/26/kogi-governor-bello-bans-trade-union-activities-state-owned-tertiary-institutions/
The Acting Chairman of
the union in KSU, Dr Daniel Aina, told newsmen yesterday that apart from
challenging the ban on the union’s activities, ASUU was also challenging the
sack of 120 academic staff of the institution by government.
The union said it
resorted to court after every attempt at reconciliation was rebuffed by the
state government.
Aina said: “The
government of Kogi State, the governing council and management of Kogi State
University, Anyigba, have taken steps which violate our fundamental human right
and flouted the rules and regulations governing our contractual intercourse
with the University. We thought it is common knowledge that proscription of a
trade union is beyond the jurisprudence of an Executive Governor.
“We have given time for
this error to be corrected. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) made an attempt
to wade into the matter, highlighting its illegality, but it was rebuffed.
Twice we were at the office of the Honourable Minister for Labour and
Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige in his bid for reconciliation but, the Government
of Kogi State never showed up.
“ASUU has made a request
to have audience with the Governor of Kogi State in a bid to finding a common
ground for reconciliation, which was equally dishonored out rightly.
“It must be noted that
while ASUU was in a protracted strike of “seven months”, no move was ever made
by the Government of Kogi State or the Governing Council to reach a common
ground.
“It was always either
injunction or instruction to resume work without any pragmatic steps to resolve
the issues at stake. To us, this does not portray responsible leadership.”
The union regretted that
academics that found themselves in management positions were working against
the interest of its members, noting that the legal action was the only avenue
remained to salvage the situation.
Aina continued: “ASUU
has gone to court to seek for redress of the contentious issues to wit: the
Proscription of ASUU KSU, Anyigba and the termination of the appointment of 120
academic staff members of Kogi State University, Anyigba.
“It is pathetic and
unfortunate that taking a cursory look at the list of the purportedly sacked
lecturers, identifying the courses they teach, the reallocation of such courses
and identifying those who are assigned to teach those courses, it is crystal
clear that the ‘one ready to kill has met the one ready to die’ while not
knowing that there is no one to bury.
“KSU, Anyigba has
degenerated almost beyond the pre-2005 era. Unethical practices are done with
imminent colossal damage in an effort to create the impression that all is well
within the system. Unqualified persons (Technologists, members of the National
Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other non-teaching staff) are being co-opted to
teach courses and supervise student projects.
“In several departments,
postgraduate programmes have folded up completely and where there seems to
exist, they are being handled by unqualified persons; where a number of Ph.D
and master’s degree students did their external defenses without the knowledge
of their major supervisors.”
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