ASUU rejects sack of 120 Kogi lecturers

By Osaigbovo Iguobaro Benin

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Benin zone have rejected the dismissal of 120 Kogi state University, Ayingba lecturers by the state governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello.
The chairman of the zone, Prof. Anthony Monye-Emina disclosed this at a Media Briefing yesterday in Benin City, the Edo state.
Membership of the zone are Federal and state-owned Universities across Edo, Delta and Kogi states.
Monye-Emina berated Governor Bello as laughable and highly condemnable for proscribing ASUU which is a registered Union that is known to law.
He wondered why the governor should witch hunt the affected members for embarking on strike to protest the areas of salaries.
He stated that the Minister of Labour and employment had made attempts to broker peace between the union and governor Yahaya Bello who did not turn up in any of the occasion till date.
“Their appointments were terminated because they went on strike to protest the areas of salaries
“In the case of Kogi state University, our members went on strike to press for the payment of several months’ salary arrears. Rather than pay them, the governor and the management of the University resorted to intimidating tactics”.
He also decried the alleged remand of Lagos state University lecturers in connivance with the Nigeria Police Force over their roles as Unionists in the Institution without fair hearing.
He said: “the last report we got is that some of the lecturers were remanded in prison custody when they went to honour and invitation by the Police.
“We are not aware that they were criminals. This is a Civil matter which the union had already take to court. So, why is the Police and the Lagos state government in a hurry to send our members to prison”, he said.