Gabriel Dike, Lagos
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU) branch, has distanced itself from the ongoing industrial action in the State and urged the public to disregard any insinuation of its members been on strike.
In a statement signed by the recognised ASUU-LASU Secretary, Dr Tony Dansu, and Assistant Secretary, Dr Adeolu Oyekan, said the union has a procedure of embarking on strikes and the issue of salary for lecturers is on the table between the Federal Government and the national body.
Dansu and Adeolu disclosed that the excos have been inundated with news of a strike the over non-payment of new minimum wage in conjunction with sister unions in the university and other tertiary institutions in the state since yesterday, September 14.
The two ASUU-LASU scribes disclosed that the industrial action is mainly to drive home the agitation for payment of new minimum wage to workers of the four state-owned institutions.
According to them, after due consideration, the union is constrained to inform the general public that it amounts to misinformation and total falsehood to insinuate that ASUU-LASU members are on strike.
The duo explained that ASUU is currently on a nationwide strike on issues bordering on attempt by the Federal Government to forcefully migrate its members in federal universities into IPPIS, refusal to show genuine commitment to the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement whose renewal became due in 2013, the failure to implement the Memorandum of Action of 2019, among other issues.
The union leaders said in the tradition and principle of ASUU, when it is on national strike, no branch is permitted to go on a local strike and that ASUU-LASU cannot be on local strike when there is a national strike ongoing.
The union revealed that LASU at the moment is exempted from the ongoing national ASUU strike, as it is currently under sanctions from the National Executive Council of ASUU based on series of illegalities of the administration of the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof Lanre Fagbohun.
It added: ‘This means effectively, that colleagues in other public universities in Nigeria are mandated not to participate with LASU academics in conferences, seminars and symposia.
‘Furthermore, they are requested not to grant them the privileges of sabbatical leave, visiting scholarship, invitation to serve as external examiners, or contributors to other academic engagements. The sanctions shall subsist until they are vacated by NEC.’
The scribes stated unequivocally that ASUU-LASU is not on any local strike at the moment.
ASUU-LASU dissociate itself from the ongoing industrial action in LASU and this is without prejudice to whatever agreement or dispute the other staff unions may have with the university administration or Lagos State Government.