…as ASUU vows no resumption without deal on 2009 pact
The resumption of Lagos State University scheduled for Monday, September 14, suffered a setback as the workers’ unions aborted the move, locking the gates against both teachers and students.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu recently approved the resumption of final-year undergraduate students of Lagos State tertiary institutions on Monday, September 14, as a part of a staggered resumption of academic institutions in the state.
Not even the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olanrewaju Fagboun, was spared by the workers, as he too was stopped at the gate at the Ojo campus.
All efforts made by the VC to placate the aggrieved workers failed as they stoutly resisted him.
The LASU protest took place as the Academic Staff Union of Universities national leadership vowed that public varsities in the country would not reopen until the federal government meets their demands over a 2009 pact with union.
The unions that barricaded LASU gates are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union, and the National Association of Academic Technologists.
“They have pursued us. They locked the gate,” one of the lecturers said by phone on the road as he drove back home.
The lecturer said the school had failed to pay a certain money that the state government promised to pay workers, for which they were protesting.
Very early on Monday morning, the unions stood took over the gate, preventing staff from gaining entry into the University.
According to the workers, other employees of the state government had received the payment, except workers of tertiary institutions in the state. Lagos State also has Polytechnic that has campuses in Isolo and Ikorodu.
ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said in Ilorin that the union would resist attempts by the government to reopen public universities without first implementing their agreement signed by both parties 11 years ago.
The university teachers have been on since March this year and Ogunyemi vowed that the union would come up with another agenda should the government remain adamant. He did not give details.
“I think it is better we wait. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it. I can’t open our strategy here; whatever you do is about strategy; let the government refuse to negotiate, we will unfold our strategy then.,” he said in response to a question.
