Unilorin sacked lecturers: ASUU rules out further negotiation with FG

04.02.2008

THE National President of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Dr. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, on Saturday ruled out any further negotiation with the Federal Government until the sack of 49 members of the University of Ilorin seven years ago was reversed.

Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State, at a reception organised by the group of affected lecturers for the legal counsel, Mr. John Bayesea, who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the president promised to continue with the struggle.

He said that plan by the government to redeploy the affected members to other universities, as a way of resolving the conflict was rejected by the union.

The national president, who was represented at the event by the union’s National Treasurer, Dr. Olugbenga Ogunbote, noted that ASUU was poised to explore every means of attaining its goal in that direction.

While congratulating Bayesea on his elevation and his courage to have taken the cause of the sacked lecturers at a time several prominent lawyers had allegedly declined because of political considerations, Sule-Kano said the union would never abandon the affected lecturers until they had been brought back to their seats.

“While the affected individuals may have explored the legal option to regain their rights, the union will continue at the industrial level to demand that government should abide by its agreement of June 30, 2001 that no academic staff shall be victimised for participating in union activities,” he said.