There are no factions in ASUU-LASU Branch, says union

Success Damian:

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter has countered the falsehood which claimed the union has factions in the university 

In a press statement signed by Ibrahim Bakare (PhD), Chairman, ASUU-LASU and Sylvester Idowu (PhD), Secretary, the body refuted the falsehood as reported in

an on-line media outfit -- The Cable Lifestyle which has reported that a spokesman of the defunct ASUU-LASU Exco claimed that there was an attempt to take over the Union's Secretariat by a faction of ASUU-LASU that's backed by the Vice Chancellor.

The statement asked: Whose Secretariat? And why blackmail the V.C?

“We wish to put the records straight that there are no factions in ASUU-LASU Branch, that the Ibrahim Bakare-led Exco of ASUU-LASU is the one known in LASU. It was inaugurated on the 24th January, 2020 after a keenly contested election under the auspices of the Prof Ishaq Akintola-led Care-taker Committee, that the signatory to the letter The Cable referred to ceased to be a staff of the University since September, 2019, and that aside the fact that the tenure of the erstwhile Exco lapsed in 2018, the five members of the Exco dismissed in 2017 and 2019 were guilty of the allegations  that ranged from illegal alteration of students' exams scores to extortion of  money from students and stealing of confidential documents, the statement read.

The statement further noted that the offences of the dismissed officials had nothing to do with Union matters and it was at the meeting of ASUU-LASU Congress of July, 2020 that the decision to renovate the Union Secretariat was taken, pending the take-off of a new one at the permanent site. Thus, the Exco sought the approval of the V.C’s Approval which was given.

It said “We wrote the Security Unit of the University to seek its presence at the Secretariat to take inventory of items there. The Security Unit requested the presence of the Legal Unit, the Works Dept; and the Multimedia Centre at the Secretariat before we could commence renovation. 

“On Thursday, 5th November, 2020, representatives of all the University organs and that of the DPO, Ojo converged at the Secretariat to formally serve a seven- day notice to officials in the Secretariat. The application letter for approval from Exco and that of approval from the V.C's office were given the Secretarial clerk and also pasted on the Secretariat. At the expiration of the seven-day notice, the renovation would commence.’ 

From the foregoing, the statement said, “ASUU-LASU Exco is rightfully carrying out the directive of  Congress in the collective interest of members and image-enhancement of our Union when the renovation is completed. Even, in the event that the erstwhile Exco wins its case against the University in the Court of law, the fact remains that it joyfully returns to take over a befitting Secretariat. So why the attack on ASUU-LASU Exco and the blackmail of the Vice Chancellor?

“Our position as ASUU-LASU Exco is that it is an aberration, an absurdity and very unacceptable for a dismissed staff to interfere in the affairs of the institution/organisation from where he was dismissed until the Court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise or else, his actions are prejudicial. This is the Peak of Impunity,” the statement read.