ASUU Condemns Member Sackings and Salary Suspensions, Seeks Intervention from Stakeholders
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Owerri Zone has expressed grave concerns over the dismissal, salary suspension, and harassment of its members in various universities across Nigeria. These actions, according to ASUU, are punitive measures against staff who have opposed irregularities within their institutions.
During a press briefing on Monday in Awka, Zonal Coordinator Dennis Aribodor identified the affected universities, including the Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) Igbariam, Kogi State University (KSU) Ayingba, Ebonyi State University (EBSU) Abakaliki, and Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, among others.
Aribodor called upon the visitors and stakeholders of these institutions to urgently intervene and rectify the injustices carried out by the respective vice chancellors. He lamented the ongoing delay in the completion of the renegotiated FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement, which remains unresolved 15 years after its signing.
“In this country, once you stand for what is right, due process and justice, you’re marked for destruction,” Aribodor stated. He cited the controversial appointment of a serving minister as a professor without them being a staff member as a notable example of such irregularities. ASUU members, in response to exposing such issues, have faced harassment, including being barred from statutory meetings and, in extreme cases, physical assault.
He highlighted the case at COOU where a member was assaulted and suspended without pay for challenging illegal practices, including exam malpractices. Despite these challenges, Aribodor reaffirmed ASUU’s commitment to upholding academic integrity and truth.
The press conference also aimed to alert the public about the Federal and State Governments’ systematic undermining of public universities through neglect, underfunding, and erosion of university autonomy, which hampers the global competitiveness of Nigerian institutions.
Aribodor outlined the key issues of the FGN-ASUU Agreement signed in October 2009, which included conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom, and improving the working environment. This agreement was intended to combat brain drain and attract top talent to Nigerian universities, positioning them for global competitiveness.
However, the agreement, initially set for renegotiation in 2012, only began discussions in 2017 and remains incomplete. Aribodor accused the government of deliberate efforts to weaken public universities in favor of private institutions owned by politically connected individuals.
ASUU’s Owerri Zone plans to convene a national meeting to evaluate the situation and determine future actions. Other ASUU leaders from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka were also present at the press conference.
