Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to reinstate five leaders of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) unjustly sacked by Lagos State University (LASU) in 2017.
The governor had set up a panel to look into the issue between the lecturers and former management of the institution. The panel, in its 2022 report, recommended that the lecturers be reinstated. But they are yet to b reinstated.
A statement by CDWR National Chairperson, Rufus Olusesan, and National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, accused the state of acting arbitrarily.
It reads: “The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) is shocked that a year after an Appeal Committee set up by the university administration recommended reinstatement of five victimised ASUU-LASU leaders, the Governor Babajide Sanwolu-led administration, through the University’s Governing Council, has refused to implement the panel’s recommendation.
“An Appeal Committee set up by the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, and headed by Prof. Dapo Asaju, to look into the labour dispute rocking the university, had submitted its report recommending recall of the ASUU-LASU leaders thereby prompting the Governing Council to approve this recommendation on February 23, 2022.”
“This was also sequel to the report of a committee of the Council that reviewed the 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 and a betrayal of the governor’s vow 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 seek the immediate recall of the ASUU-LASU five as recommended by the Appeal Committee. They are Dr. Akinloye Oyewumi, Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, Dr. Anthony Dansu, Dr. Adeolu Oyekan and Dr. Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare.”
The five lecturers were sacked by the Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo-led Governing Council on September 7 and 12, 2017.
-Thenation
