ASUU tackles Kogi govt over 135 sacked lecturers

The Academic staff Union of Universities, Abuja zone, has criticised Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State for allegedly refusing to reinstate the 135 sacked lecturers of the Kogi State University.

The ASUU Abuja Zonal coordinator, Dr Theophilus Lagi, who addressed news men on Mon at the University of Abuja, said the government should adapt a court judgment ordering the reinstatement of the lecturers.

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Lagi said the failure to try and do such was a violation of the rule of law.

The union also criticised the government for failing to pay the workers’ salaries despite “the huge monthly revenue of N8bn accruing to the state.”

The government had on August 14 sacked the striking lecturers for their refusal to come back to work.

The sacking followed the proscription of the ASUU KSU chapter by the governor once the institution resumed from a seven-month strike. The lecturers had allegedly refused to resume work once the strike.

Lagi, on Monday, however, took a swipe at the government for allegedly refusing to obey a court order on the lecturers.

He said, “Prior to the mass sacking of lecturers, the university had an academic staff strength of less than 400, forcing it to bank heavily on visiting and adjunct lecturers for its main academic business. This depletion in the core and regular academic staff strength means that nothing but doom for all academic programmes mounted by the university.

“Academic activities in the university are presently being carried out by low- profile, inexperienced staff, assisted by members of the National Youth Service Corps and technologists. This mass sacking of the lecturers can have grave implications for accreditation and even current quality of graduates and their employability.

“ASUU wanted the intervention of the courts in the entire charade going in the university. A court of competent jurisdiction has since ruled, restraining the governor and ordering him to return to the status quo ante in the case of those 135 sacked lecturers.

“We call on the administration of Kogi State University, Ayingba, and its visitor, Mr Yahaya Bello, to respect the rule of law and let the voice of reason prevail.”