The Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), has kicked against the sack of its University of Ilorin
(UNILORIN) chapter Secretary, Dr. Solomon Oyelekan barely 72 hours of the sack
of the chairman of the union, Dr. Kayode Afolayan .
It was learnt that Dr. Kayode
Afolayan was sacked for “blowing whistle on the alleged corrupt activities of
the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali for subverting due process in
the employment and promotion of his wife among other atrocities”.
The union while calling on all
Nigerians and the appropriate authorities to intervene urgently to restore
justice in the university and stave off a needless national crisis, challenged
President Mohammadu Buhari to show that he is truly committed to fighting
corruption by probing frauds and corrupt activities at the University of
Ilorin.
ASUU in a press release signed by
its Ibadan Zonal Coordinator Dr. Ade Adejumo and Chairman, University of Ibadan
chapter, Dr. Deji Omole on Sunday
morning, maintained that “as far as industrial relations is concerned, UNILORIN
remained a terrorist organization”.
The statement reads” “A few days
ago, the University of Ilorin terminated the appointment of Dr. K.N. Afolayan,
who is the Chairperson of our the Union in the University. We immediately gave
a press conference and pointedly accused the University of Ilorin as a
terrorist organization as far as industrial relations is concerned.
“Barely 72 hours afterwards, the
University again forwarded a letter to terminate the appointment of Dr Solomon
Oyelekan, the Secretary of our Union in the University. We believe that even
the press must be shocked by this brazen new demonstration of terrorism. It is
time once again for the nation to focus on the evil machinations of the current
and past Administrations in the University of Ilorin.”
“The duo further challenged the
university administration to state the offence of the purportedly sacked ASUU
leadership committed other than an open display of victimization.”
ASUU noted that the university
had lost court cases in the past over illegal sack, hence this case will not be
an exception.
They noted that it was laughable
that the information officer of UNILORIN, Mr Kunle Akogun defended the
university for following due process, wondering why the same “due process” was
blind to “genuine and established acts of misconduct such as sexual harassment,
plagiarism and corruption, but terminated the appointment of ASUU Officers”.
“Our tag of UNILORIN as terrorist
is based on its actions of terrorizing progressive staff and students and indeed
the community for nearly two decades. It is common knowledge that in 2001 the
University sacked 49 academics for no other reason than that they remained on
strike along with their colleagues nationwide. At least, three of them died in
the brutal circumstances of the termination of appointment.
“But for the University’s action,
the likes of Professors Adegbija and Annor and Dr Ajayi would be alive today.
The University vilified the staff, told lies against them, forged documents
against them, sent gun totting men, cudgel wielding security and sometimes
cultists after them, evicted them from their university quarters, deprived them
of their means of livelihood and their health access, chased them from
alternative job options, and the three died, If all of these is not terrorism
within the context of a University then what else is?
UNILORIN is the place where all
manner of atrocities take place: court bailiffs are regularly beaten up in the
office of the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar; none of the Unions is allowed
to participate in national actions yet the University proceeds to benefit from
such actions; several staff including genuine ASUU officers are forced to pay
money monthly into the coffers of a group of impersonators that has already
been outlawed by the courts; the University stole millions from students in the
name of unsupplied equipment (PC tabs);
UNILORIN stole billions from its
staff by forcing them to pay pension into a phantom pension fund that did not
go into the account of the staff; the University has suppressed the promotion
of a group of staff for upwards of fifteen years due to hatred;
UNILORIN is the only University
that attempted to institutionally victimize a sexually harassed female student
for blowing the whistle on a ‘favoured’ staff;
UNILORIN is the only University
that maintains gun totting policemen at its gate and gun totting DSS to harass
academic staff within; UNILORIN is the only university where the Vice
Chancellor would promote his wife unduly and then sack the people who protest
this anomaly, and the Governing Council would support such brazen corruption;
UNILORIN is the only University
that brings a ‘battalion’ to prevent the Union from having a meeting on its
campus even though it is a publicly funded University. The list is endless.
Therefore, if we call UNILORIN a terrorist institution this is more than
justified,” the statement added.
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