The Academic Staff Union of Universities has appealed to the Kogi State Government to reinstate 120 academic staff of the Kogi State University, Anyigba sacked in 2017.
Comrade Onyibo Eze, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Nigeria Chapter, made the appeal on Tuesday in Nsukka in a statement.
Eze said the termination of the appointment of the lecturers for participating in a strike demanding for better welfare and arrears of salaries amounted to trampling on their rights and privileges.
According to him: “The UNN chapter of ASUU is making the appeal because KSU is part of Nsukka Zone of ASUU, and whatever affects KSU-ASUU affect all of us in Nsukka ASUU Zone.”
He recalled that the lecturers had also demanded for academic allowances owed its members, proper funding of the institution, university autonomy and guaranteeing of academic freedom, among others.
Eze said: “The strike took place after several attempts were turn down by ex-Governor Yaya Bello for the union to negotiate with government.
Also Read:
- Fence collapses, kills two in Lagos
- Four company staff die in Lagos fire accident
- Ogun workers to receive N77,000 as minimum wage
- Breaking: Again, national grid collapses
- Gombe approves N71,500 minimum wage for workers
“Rather, the governor during the strike proscribed ASUU-KSU and terminated the appointments of the 120 academic staff of the university, which becomes a subject of litigation.
“At the Industrial Court of Nigeria both Kogi State Government and the KSU Management brought no allegations against the 120 sacked staff as the only argument of being on strike cannot fly.”
Eze expressed sadness that as a result of the unlawful retrenchment, four senior members of the affected staff had died due to the hardship and psychological trauma they passed through during the period.
He added: “It is unfortunate that the four ASUU members died in the struggle to demand for their rights as well as the welfare of other members.
“It is worthy to note that the same government of Governor Bello that sacked the 120 academic staff for embarking on strike set up a Visitation Panel that recommended the immediate reinstatement of the stacked staff.
“But the ex-governor failed to implement this recommendation of the panel till he left office.”
The UNN-ASUU Chairman appealed to incumbent Governor Ahmed Ododo to kindly use his good office to reinstate the sacked academic staff as recommended by the government’s Visitation Panel.
“This will not only heal the wounds of seven years of the affected lecturers but will also redress the injustice meted out to these innocent lecturers as well as put smiles in their families,” he added.
