Crisis looms as Ekiti varsity proscribes ASUU, others
The management of Ekiti State Government-owned Bamidele Olumilua University of Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, has proscribed all the staff unions in the institution.
The acting Registrar, B.S. Momoh, said the step was necessary as the unions through their actions were distracting the university from its development vision and mission.
Momoh, in a memo to the university community, titled, ‘Proscription of staff unions in BOUESTI,’ listed the affected bodies as Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Momoh stated, “BOUESTI, being a new university, certainly does not need these distractions if it must develop properly to fulfil the vision and mission for which it was established. It has, therefore, become imperative to ensure that irresponsible acts like these are avoided in our university.
“After a review of the incidents and in line with the directive of Ekiti State Governor and Visitor to the university, the three trade unions in BOUESTI – ASUU, SNANU and NASU are hereby proscribed with immediate effect.
“Members of staff are hereby enjoined to go about their normal duties without fear and desist from getting involved in unlawful activities,” Momoh stated.
Reacting, the SSANU Chairman, G.O Olowolafe and his NASU counterpart, Adewale Animasaun, said the matter had been reported to their bodies’ headquarters.
Olowolafe said, “This is purely a union matter. The union is registered by the Federal Government. We are only a branch. The matter is already before the national headquarters. For now, we at the branch level have no right to make comment”.
However, Animasaun said “Initially, I believed it was an internal matter which would be resolved internally, but when I saw the proscription letter that the management proscribed the union, it was so embarrassing, but there is nothing we can do where a person believes he has power.
The NASU chairman, who queried whether it was a crime for workers to demand for promotion and payment of amputated 34 months salaries, said workers were not distracting the university, “rather, we love the school being a new university. We are supposed to be on strike now, but we resolved to work for the progress of the school and we are here.
“In NASU, I cannot do anything without the headquarters. I have sent the report of what happened to NASU headquarters,” he said.
But the ASUU Chairman, Ekiti State University, Dr Kayode Arogundade, who supervises the academic staff of BOUESTI, said, “The academic staff in BOUESTI were not involved in what happened.
“Again, we do not have ASUU in BOUESTI, what we have there is Academic Welfare Association. When eventually we have ASUU there, the university or state government does not have power to proscribe ASUU”.
