ASUU members storm Ambode’s office over crisis in LASU

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from Lagos, Ondo, Oyo and different state chapters stormed the office of Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, over the weekend to demand solution to the crisis involving their members at the Lagos State University (LASU).

The union and the management of the institution have been at loggerheads, resulting to the sacking of Isaac Oyewumi and Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenuto, chairman and deputy chairman of ASUU-LASU.

During the protest, ASUU members demanded that Ambode set up a visitation panel to the institution.

They also asked Ambode to call Olanrewaju Fagbohun, LASU vice-chancellor, whom they accused of “dictatorship and illegalities”, to order, lamenting over the alleged move to fire two more members of ASUU-LASU.

“The call on the Visitor to intervene in the University is on the heels of queries and invitations to appear before disciplinary panels issued to the Secretary, Assistant Secretary and the Treasurer of ASUU-LASU,” the protesters said.

“The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of ASUU-LASU, Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi and Dr Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu were dismissed by the University in September 2017 for allegedly demanding bribe from a student through a third party, and alteration of results, respectively,” the group said.

“Currently, the secretary and the Assistant secretary, Dr Tony Dansu and Dr Adeolu Oyekan are facing a disciplinary panel to explain how they came about the letter that conveyed the promotion of then Dr Olanrewaju Fagbohun to the rank of a professor.

“ASUU claims that whereas the Governing Council of the university met on 7th May 2014 and promoted Fagbohun to the rank of professor with effect from the same date, the erstwhile Registrar of the university, Mr Akinwunmi Lewis, backdated the letter to October 1st 2008, to confer undue advantage on professor Fagbohun who left LASU as an associate professor in 2011 without meeting the requirements to become a professor. The university management says the promotion letter is a confidential document that ought not to be in possession of the union leaders.

“The Treasurer of the Union, Dr Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare is also appearing before a disciplinary panel for attaching what the university also calls a confidential document to her appeal letter requesting that her promotion to the rank of associate professor be backdated to the year she became qualified for the promotion.”

The zonal coordinator of Akure, Ondo state chapter, who led the national delegation of ASUU comprising branches under Lagos, Ibadan, Akure and Benin zones to the governor’s office, said the university management is “doing all it can to kill ASUU in LASU as a result of the principled opposition of the Union to the violation of the laws and regulations of the institution.”

The protesters were received by Adeyemi Olabinjo, special adviser to the governor on civic engagement, Babatunde Oladeinde, senior special assistant on labour matters.

Olabinjo promised that the government would swing into action quickly to resolve the issues.