UNIOSUN crisis tears ASUU apart

 

The crisis between the management and the Governing Council of the Osun State University has caused a sharp division among members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in the institution.

The Secretary of ASUU in the university, Mr. Wende Olaosebikan, at a briefing on Monday dissociated the members of the local chapter of ASUU from an earlier press conference addressed by the Chairman of ASUU, Ibadan zone, Prof. Segun Ajiboye, on Saturday.

Apart from Olaosebikan, Prof. Ayo Adebooye, and the Financial Secretary of ASUU at UNIOSUN, Mr. Alabi Banwo, who attended the Monday briefing, expressed dissatisfaction with the zonal coordinator of ASUU.

But the Chairman of the UNIOSUN ASUU, Dr. Seye Abiona, who was absent at the Monday conference, our correspondent gathered, was present when the zonal coordinator addressed journalists on the crisis.

The secretary of ASUU noted that at the congress of the union held last January 20, its members resolved to be neutral in the crisis rocking the institution.

Olaosebikan said, “We have read with utter disappointment in the newspapers the report of a press conference which was floated by the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Ibadan Zone, Prof Olusegun Ajiboye on the suspension of the Principal Officers (VC, Registrar and Bursar) of the Osun State University by the Governing Council.

“Our branch of ASUU dissociates itself from the reported press conference because we had resolved at our meeting of January 20, 2015 that we would not take side in the issues concerning the council-administration and the government.

“We are also disappointed that the said press conference on the issues concerning our university was held without any input or clearance from our branch.

“We wish to state that this is not part of ASUU principle. Our branch reserves the right to know whenever the zonal or national body wishes to discuss our university on the pages of newspapers.

“In fact, since our branch congress had not yet reported any matter to the Zonal-ASUU, it has no right to take the matter to the press. Our union is known for thoroughness in dealing with issues and we wish to state that in holding the press conference, the zonal ASUU has violated our right as branch.

“We are dismayed that lecturers who should face the real academic duties are now aligning with political parties and have directly turned the university to a home of partisan politics. In our opinion, while we lay claim to the fact that all of us are political animals, we must not forget that university is a home for the production and propagation of knowledge.”