Nsukka, Nigeria – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to the Kogi State Government to reinstate 120 academic staff of the Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba,
sacked unjustly by the immediate past administration in 2017.
This is contained in a press statement issued at Nsukka on Tuesday and signed by Comrade Onyibo Eze, the Chairman, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) ASUU chapter.
Eze said that the appointments of the 120 KSU lecturers were terminated because they participated in the six-month local strike at the university between February and July 2017.
The lecturers demanded better staff welfare and payment of arrears of salaries, saying the lack of these amounted to trampling on their rights and privileges.
He recalled that KSU Anyigba, on February 2, 2017, embarked on a total and comprehensive strike to press home their demands.
“Payment of their arrears of salaries and emoluments, earned academic allowances owed its members, proper funding of the institution, university autonomy and guaranteeing of academic freedom,among others, were on their demand list.
“The strike action took place after several attempts by the union to negotiate with ex-Gov. Yahya Bello were turned down.
“Rather, the governor, during the strike, proscribed ASUU KSU branch and terminated the appointments of the 120 academic staff of the university, which became a subject of litigation.
“Even in 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 said.
He expressed sadness that, as a result of the unlawful retrenchment, four senior members of the affected KSU staff have died due to the hardship and psychological trauma they passed through during the period of sack.
“It is unfortunate that these four ASUU members died in the struggle to demand for their rights as well as the welfare of other members.
“It is worthy of note that the same government of Gov. Bello that sacked the 120 academic staff for embarking on strike, set up a Visitation Panel that recommended the immediate reinstatement of the sacked staff.
“But the ex-governor failed to implement this recommendation of the Visitation Panel till he left office,” he said
The UNN-ASUU Chairman appealed to the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, to kindly use his good offices to reinstate the sacked 120 KSU academic staff as recommended by the Visitation Panel.
“UNN chapter of ASUU is making this appeal because KSU is part of Nsukka Zone of ASUU, whatever affects KSU-ASUU affects all of us in Nsukka ASUU zone
“This will not only heal the wounds of seven years of the affected lecturers but would also redress the injustice meted out to these innocent lecturers as well put smiles in their families,” he added.
