The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos Zone, has requested the immediate reinstatement of five colleagues who were terminated from their positions.
These individuals, namely Dr. Tony Dansu, Adeolu Oyekan, Oluwakemi Aboderin, Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi, and Adebowale Suenu, were dismissed between 2017 and 2019. At a press conference conducted at LASU, Professor Adelaja Odukoya, the Coordinator of ASUU Lagos Zone, urged the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to promptly reinstate the dismissed members.
In a statement provided to Vanguard and signed by Professor Adelaja Odukoya, it was emphasized that the court had ruled that university authorities lacked the jurisdiction to take action against union officers in these cases, as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act and other pertinent laws. Both parties, being entities established by law, are obligated to adhere to it.
Referring to events following the Fagbohun administration, the statement read: "The dismissed union leaders pursued legal recourse, with the support of ASUU national leadership, which also imposed sanctions on LASU. Upon her appointment, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, along with the University administration and Governing Council, reviewed the issue of the disputed dismissals.
"As per our understanding, on February 23, 2022, the Governing Council reviewed the report of its Committee on Grievances and determined the dismissals to be unjust. It directed the immediate reinstatement of the five ASUU officers. However, the subsequent day, it was reported that the University Administration had been instructed by Alausa to suspend the implementation of the Council’s decision. Allegedly, this was due to the ongoing review of the issues by the Visitation Panel established by the Visitor.
The Panel concluded its work in February 2022 and submitted its report in September of the same year. "Since then, ASUU has made several appeals to Governor Sanwo-Olu, in his capacity as the Visitor to LASU, to release the White Paper from the visitation and lift the embargo on the reinstatement of our dismissed colleagues, based on their exoneration by the Governing Council. Unfortunately, the Visitor has displayed indifference. The pertinent questions that arise are: What transgressions did the ASUU leaders commit against Governor Sanwo-Olu, particularly concerning LASU? Whose interests is the Governor safeguarding by preventing these individuals from resuming their positions? How does the Governor reconcile this unjust deprivation of livelihood with his labor-friendly stance? If the White Paper is pivotal to the Governing Council’s decision, why has it not been released two years after the Panel’s report? Is the Visitor attempting to suppress the findings of the report?
"Is it not a form of double standard and injustice to exploit the withheld White Paper as grounds to delay the implementation of the Governing Council’s decision while Lanre Fagbohun has clandestinely returned to the university without a verdict on his stewardship?
"It is clear that the good faith exhibited by our Union in suspending its sanctions against LASU under the new administration is being exploited. It constitutes a breach of trust to suspend court proceedings with promises of an out-of-court settlement, only to stall the process when it is time to implement the Governing Council’s decision. This tactic prolongs the pursuit of justice and subjects our members to further distress. Consequently, the NEC of our Union has reinstated these sanctions, designating Lanre Fagbohun as a public adversary of ASUU. All Union members are instructed to refrain from engaging with LASU or its staff until further notice. External examinations, conferences, sabbatical exchanges, and other collaborations with LASU are all prohibited. This marks the initial phase of a series of measures we will take to secure justice for our members.
"We once again implore Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Executive Governor of Lagos State and Visitor to Lagos State University, to promptly and unconditionally reinstate the five unjustly dismissed ASUU-LASU officials by lifting the embargo on the Governing Council’s decision and to release the visitation panel report without further delay. The citizens of Lagos, whose taxes funded the visitation, deserve to be informed of the outcomes and the government's course of action in response to the recommendations."
Members of the ASUU-LASU zone were also observed demonstrating in solidarity, chanting "Bring back our people" and carrying placards with the message "Recall the sacked ASUU-LASU five."