ASUU, SSANU seek another visitation panel in LASU

The Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, has said it is pitching its tent behind the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the university by inviting a visitation panel to review activities under the Vice-Chancellor Prof John Oladapo Obafunwa.
Both unions are alleging that management is victimising their members, and stalling members’ promotion, issuing unwarranted queries and setting up kangaroo disciplinary panel for members on unsubstantiated allegations.
ASUU also accused management of encouraging a parallel senate, irregular appointments, improper composition of Council, doctoring of documents and misguiding Governing Council on the true state of the institution, among others.
Of greater concern to both unions however, is the review of all appointments and promotions under the present administration some of which the unions contends did not follow due process, but were rather done to favour Obafunwa’s friends and cronies.
Nearly, four years ago, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, set up a visitation panel to review activities of LASU,under the previous administration headed by Prof later Akanni Hussein.
The Chairman of SSANU-LASU Comrade Oseni Saheed, told The Nation at the union office in LASU on Friday, that the union has not gone to bed over its agitation; rather it has decided to keep a low profile in order not to be labelled a clog in the wheel of progress.
“All the things we have been agitation for including promotions of our members are still there,” Oseni said. “Remember that we even staged a protest during the last convocation which got the attention of the governor. However, we do not want government to see us as enemies or unnecessary trouble makers; that is why we have decided to suspend every agitation for now.
“But we have a shocker for the management. We won’t tell them when to strike but they will hear from us soon. SSANU-LASU is also using this opportunity to appeal to government to visit LASU to a get true picture of situations on ground. Our management is not telling government the truth.”
ASUU-LASU chairman Dr Adekunle Idris, said the call became necessary to salvage another imminent chaos in the university and to also ensure members’ interest are safeguarded.
In a briefing at the university premises on Wednesday last week, Dr Idris said ASUU had made all necessary steps to toe the line of peace, noting that management is bent on compound situation in the three decade-old institution.
ASUU Zonal Coordinator (Lagos) Dr Sola Nasir, said the union had met with Obafunwa on several occasion but the latter merely pretends to listen, only to backpedal on any agreement reached by the two parties.
For instance, Nasir said members’ promotion for last year was inconclusive, adding that no measure has so far been taken on this year.
Said Nasir: “No APER (Annual Performance Evaluation Report” form is circulated among academic staff. However, advertisement for appointments has been sent out.  True to the character of the present administration, appointment is being used to replace promotion. Openings were advertised to promote some individuals who are oiling the ego and assisting the vice-chancellor in his scheme of destruction. This is not the acceptable culture in the academia. ASUU would not allow any form of patronage in the system,” the union said.
Nasir also questioned the rationale for the appointment of the new HoDs. He noted that though, such appointment is the prerogative of the vice-chancellor, yet they were not done in line with best practices. According to him, those whose names were submitted by the deans of various faculties (who are supposedly closer to the departments) for such appointment were rejected by management.
ASUU further lamented that some academic misfits were being elevated at the expense of deserving members.
“The vice-chancellor appointed and promoted candidates that are neither appointable nor promotable. He appointed a candidate to the position of a Senior Lecturer with two academic journals in the Faculty of Law. He also appointed an individual as a professor with less than 15 papers contrary to the principles and rules governing promotions and appointments. These 15 papers included lecture notes and conference proceedings while the percentage of acceptable papers could not have earned him a Senior Lecturer status.