Calls for an Independent Panel of Inquiry into the Allegations and Processes Leading to the Dismissal of Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi and Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu – respectively Chairman and Vice Chairman of ASUU LASU
PRESS STATEMENT
November 19, 2017
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) condemns the recent
politically-motivated dismissal of the Chairman of the Lagos State
University (LASU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU), Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi and his vice, Dr. Adebowale
Adeyemi-Suenu.
Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi and Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, both
union leaders and lecturers in the University, were dismissed on
trumped-up charges bothering on extortion and alteration of results.
However, a careful examination of the allegations and in particular the
processes leading to their dismissal shows that the allegations are
unfounded and the panels merely worked, in a teleguided manner, towards a
predetermined agenda to dismiss them.
It is not at all strange that shortly before their current ordeal
ASUU LASU including these two leaders had been at the forefront of
agitations against a series of illegal appointments and impunity of the
Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun-led management. The dismissal is nothing but
payback. The ERC hereby demands their immediate and unconditional recall
to their duty posts.
In addition, we call for an independent panel of inquiry composed of
competent Nigerians and representatives of the labour movement,
professional groups, alumni association, parents and students to look
into the allegations and the processes leading to the dismissal of the
two union leaders.
As far as we are concerned, LASU is a public institution funded by
tax-payers money. Therefore, when controversies like this break out, the
public has a right to seek to know the truth by means of an independent
inquiry.
Unlike what the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, would
have the public believe, the dismissal is not an effort to rid LASU of
corruption and nepotism but a grand plot to cow the unions on campus
using dirty means including slamming on their leaders false allegations
in order to portray them as criminals.
For instance, Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi was alleged to have
demanded, way-back in 2011/2012, and through a third party the sum of
N50, 000 from some students in order to process their results. On his
own part, Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu who until his dismissal was the
acting Head of the Department of History and International Studies was
accused of altering students' results.
In the case of the ASUU Chairman Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi, not only
was there no credible evidence against him, the so-called audio tape
recording presented at the panel by the principal witness, Dr. O.T.F
Abanikannda, was played only up to a certain point leaving out other
vital areas which confirm Dr. Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi's innocence of the
charge. Also, the petitioner was found to have graduated since 2013
while claiming before the panel in 2017 that Dr. Isaac Oyewumi had
prevented him from graduating. Similarly for ASUU LASU Vice Chairman,
Dr. Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, he was allegedly found guilty of altering
students' results despite the evidence of staff members of the
department and hard evidences including minutes of departmental meetings
showing that every alteration for which he was being alleged were
discussed and approved by the entire department.
This method of calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it is not at
all new. As the public would recall, it was similar method of
persecution of staff union leaders together with anti-poor policies of
fee hike which the previous administration of Prof. Obafunwa embraced
that threw LASU into needless crisis and turmoil years ago. This was
exactly the same manner Prof. Obafunwa orchestrated the withdrawal of
the PhD of the then ASUU Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Idris just because ASUU
was openly critical of his various undemocratic and anti-poor policies
including the fee hike which was imposed on students then.
We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians, trade unions, human
rights organizations, alumni and other concerned groups to call on the
Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun-led University management not to throw LASU
into another needless crisis and to openly support the demand for an
independent panel of enquiry on the allegations against the ASUU
leaders.
They should also urge the Prof. Fagbohun-led management to hands off
the unions by recalling the wrongly dismissed union leaders as well as
putting a halt to other attacks on the rights to freedom of expression
and association in LASU.
No comments:
Post a Comment