LASU Crisis deepens as workers ‘sack’ Obafunwa , the VC… Fashola to appoint acting VC

The crisis rocking the Lagos State University (LASU) took a new dimension yesterday, when the protesting three staff unions ‘sacked’ the Vice Chancellor, Prof John Obafunwa and urged Governor Babatunde Fashola to appoint an acting vice chancellor for the institution.

The decision was taken at a meeting involving the executives of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) preparatory to a meeting with Governor Fashola on the crisis rocking the 30-year-old university.

At day two of the protest the angry workers gathered in the campus to prevent Prof Obafunwa and other principal officers from entering the university, while the two gates remained under lock with buses without tyres used to block the entrance.

From every indication the 20th convocation of the university scheduled for today and tomorrow would not hold as the convocation lecture to be delivered by former vice chancellor of University of Ilorin, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, was also stalled by the protesting unions.

The eight-point demands the staff unions intend to present at their meeting with Governor Fashola, include the appointment of an acting vice chancellor to preside over the convocation and right the wrong allegedly done by the Obafunwa administration.

Addressing newsmen during its congress, ASUU-LASU chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris, said the unions resolved that the state government should appoint acting VC and commence the process of selecting a new vice chancellor.

According to him, the staff unions demanded that the university management must pay the outstanding salary arrears before 4p.m. yesterday and that any person picked to replace him, must address the issues of victimised staff and withdrawal of certificates.

Idris said the management must produce LASU staff with fake certificates as alleged by Prof Obafunwa and those involved in fraudulent acts to clear the image of the university while the issue of revitalised LASU TEFUND N2.6billion must be pursued by the proposed acting vice chancellor.

Other demands include staff elected into Governing Council and Senate must be issued letters and be part their meetings, government/university management must adhered to the last agreement reached with the unions, reviewed inappropriate appointment/promotion.

ASUU congress approved the eight-point-conditions and also passed a vote of confidence on Dr. Idris-led exco and resolved that the executives should direct members to down tool if their are evidence of threat to their lives.

Idris words: ‘’It took great efforts of union leaders to prevent the VC from being lynch on Monday. We are waiting for the state government to appoint acting VC. The state government is demanding the unions allow Obafunwa to complete his term. He is support to start his terminal leave in April. We want to go’’.

The ASUU-LASU congress also resolved that Prof Obafunwa should go and that a vote of no confidence passed on November 14, 2014 still stands and that the state government should ask him to proceed on his terminal leave.

SSANU-LASU, chairman, Saheed Oseni told Daily Sun that the three unions resolved to attend the meeting summoned by Governor Fashola but noted that it would be on their own terms adding despite the new position the protest would continue.

Oseni confirmed that state government officials called union leaders on Monday during the protest and yesterday (Tuesday) for a meeting at Alausa with the governor and debunked the insinuations that LASU workers are on strike stressing ‘’we are not on strike, lectures held on Monday and today’’.

The three unions declared the former UNILORIN VC, Prof Oloyede personal non grata stating that they would not allow him into the campus because of his role in the sacking of 44 ASUU-UNILORIN members and advised members not to attend the convocation lecture.

Meanwhile, the management of LASU has postponed the 20th convocation ceremony indefinitely and that the decision was based on the on-going protest by ASUU, SSANU and NASU stating that a new date would be announced later.

‘’Management of LASU regrets to announce the postponement of activities lined up for the 20th convocation ceremony earlier scheduled to hold Wednesday, 18th and Thursday 19, March, 2015 respectively. LASU management deeply regrets all inconveniences this development might cause graduands, parenrs/guardians, the entire university community and the general public’’, it stated.

The workers on Tuesday continued their protest on a low scale but the two gates remained under lock and key while the VC, Prof Obafunwa and the principal officers did not come to the office.

Written by Gabriel Dike for the Sun