ASUU OAU Sets For Protest Rally
Olabode Oluwafemi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University branch has announced a one-day special congress and protest rally which is aimed at dissenting the half payment of their union members' salary as against earlier reached agreement with the Federal Government after suspension of the eight months industrial action.
In a release obtained by OAU KILONSHELE, the congress is scheduled to hold in the early hours of Wednesday, 23rd November, at the First Bank Lecture Theater where every member of the Union is expected to converge and to be equally followed by a rally. The protest which is tagged "Protest against the casualization of the academics in Nigeria" has the Great Ife Students' Union President, Olayiwola Folahan as a guest speaker and other ASUU veterans.
Meanwhile, the one-day protest which was spearheaded by Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos branch and other branches stated the actions of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, toward the union would destroy public universities in Nigeria.
The University of Lagos chapter recently held a rally from the Julius Berger Auditorium of the university premises to the school main gate, to protest against the half payment of salaries.
The aggrieved lecturers held a big banner and placards with inscriptions that included, ‘Ngige be mindful of history, ASUU will outlive you’, ‘Teachers teach the nation but Ngige cheats the teachers’, ‘No work no pay and prorated salaries are punitive measures against renegotiated agreement,’ among others.
In a press interview with the ASUU UNILAG chapter chairman, Dele Ashiru, during the rally, he said, ‘‘Ngige is the agent provocateur; he is the one instigating the government against ASUU. He has inexplicable hatred against our union and that is the reason he turned our struggle to a personal fight.
“It was Ngige who poisoned FEC against our union. Ngige started the campaign of no-work no-pay against our union. Ngige dragged ASUU before the court; Ngige wrote Ministry of Finance to stop our salary and made it prorated. He registered two stinker unions to weaken our union which was against the Trade Union Act. Ngige also wanted our union proscribed by suggesting that we have not been submitting our account. Ngige is out there to destroy public universities.’’
The chairman stated.
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