The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has made a passionate appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reinstate the sacked five union leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) branch.
The CDWR, in a statement, recalled that, one year after an appeal committee set up by the university administration recommended the reinstatement of five leaders of ASUU-LASU, the governor, represented by the LASU Governing Council, has refused to implement the recommendation.
In a statement signed by CDWR national chairperson, Rufus Olusesan, and publicity secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the group said an appeal committee set up by the vice-chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, headed by Prof. Dapo Asaju, to look into labour disputes rocking the university, submitted its report recommending the recall of the ASUU-LASU leaders, thereby prompting the council to grant approval of the recommendation on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
“This was also sequel to the report of a committee of the council that reviewed the allegations against them. But in a bizarre turn of events, 48 hours after, the same council reconvened to put on hold the implementation of its earlier decision, apparently, following pressure from the Lagos State government.
“Since then, nothing has been heard about the issue, while the sacked lecturers continue to suffer unjust dismissal,” CDWR noted.
The group said it considered the refusal to recall them a sign of executive lawlessness on the part of the Governor Sanwo-Olu administration and a betrayal of the vow he made in November 2021 when it set up a 10-man visitation panel for LASU with a view to make the institution “the best in terms of quality research, pedagogical and administrative excellence, as well as industrial harmony.”
“We hereby demand the immediate recall of the ASUU-LASU Five as recommended by the appeal committee,” the group said.
CDWR recalled that the ASUU-LASU Five, consisting of the chairman, Dr. Akinloye Oyewumi, vice-chairman, Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, secretary, Dr. Anthony Dansu, assistant secretary, Dr. Adeolu Oyekan, and treasurer, Dr. Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, were sacked by the Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council on September 7 and September 12, 2017, due to their principled opposition to the anti-worker and anti-student policies of the erstwhile VC, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun.
Meanwhile, CDWR said the reign of silence from the labour movement while the Lagos State government rides roughshod over the rights of the ASUU-LASU Five has become too deafening, adding, “so far, the Lagos council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), headed by Comrade Funmi Sessi, has not spoken against the unjust dismissal of these union leaders.”
CDWR acknowledged that while the Lagos NLC council has done much in campaigning for the right of workers in the state, especially casual workers and factory workers, it leaves much to be desired for the NLC, Lagos State Council, to continue to ignore the case of the ASUU-LASU Five, who are leaders of a branch of an affiliate of the congress.
It called on the leadership of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Lagos and nationally, as well as civil society organizations, to condemn the Lagos State government for its anti-worker disposition. The group called on the state government to immediately recall the union leaders.
“We urge them to organize solidarity actions, including petitions, protest and demonstrations, to back the demand for the recall of ASUU-LASU Five,” CDWR said.