The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to reinstate five victimised leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who were unjustly sacked by the Lagos State University (LASU) in 2017.
The governor had set up a panel to look into the issue between the lecturers and the former management of the institution.
The panel had recommended the reinstatement of the lecturers in its report submitted to the governor in 2022.
However, the ASUU-LASU executives have not been reinstated since then.
In a statement signed by the National Chairperson, Rufus Olusesan and the National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, CDWR accused Lagos governor of acting arbitrarily.
“The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) is shocked that a year after an Appeal Committee set up by the University administration recommended the reinstatement of five (5) victimized leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities branch of the Lagos State University (ASUU-LASU), the Governor Babajide Sanwolu-led administration of Lagos State through the University’s Governing Council has continued to refuse to implement the recommendation of the panel over one year after.”
“An Appeal committee set up by the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and headed by Prof. Dapo Asaju to look into labour dispute rocking the University had submitted its report recommending the recall of the ASUU-LASU leaders thereby prompting the University’s Governing Council to grant approval of this recommendation on Wednesday, 23rd February 2022.
“This was also sequel to the report of a committee of the Council that reviewed the fabricated allegations against them. But in a bizarre turn of event, 48 hours after, the same Governing Council reconvened to put on hold the implementation of its earlier decision apparently following pressure from the Lagos State government. Since then, nothing has been heard about the issue while the sacked lecturers continue to suffer an unjust dismissal.
“We consider the refusal to recall them a sign of executive lawlessness on the part of the Governor Sanwo-Olu administration and a betrayal of the vow the Governor made in November 2021 when it set up a 10-man visitation panel into LASU with a view to make the institution “the best in terms of quality research, pedagogical and administrative excellence, as well as industrial harmony. We hereby demand the immediate recall of the ASUU-LASU 5 as recommended by the Appeal Committee.
“The ASUU-LASU 5, comprising ASUU-LASU chairman, Dr. Akinloye Isaac Oyewumi, Vice chairman, Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, Secretary, Dr. Anthony Dansu, Assistant Secretary, Dr. Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan and Treasurer, Dr. Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, were sacked by the Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council on September 7th and September 12th, 2017 due to their principled opposition to the anti-worker and anti-student policies of the erstwhile Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun. While the Lagos State government has refused to allow them back on campus, rumor that the government is considering appointing their traducer, Prof. Fagbohun, back as a Professor in the University is rife and demonstrates the duplicity of the Lagos State government towards resolving the age-long industrial disharmony plaguing the University.”
The group also slammed the Labour Union over its silence on the matter and called on organised labour – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other organisations to join in getting justice for the sacked dons.
