ASUU Faults Governor Over Appointment Of OOU Vice Chancellor

Nigeria’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Olabisi Onabanjo University, has accused Governor Ibikunle Amosun of appointing Prof. Saburi Adejimi Adesanya as the Vice Chancellor, without recourse to the lay down rules.

asuu.1The lecturers alleged that the appointment did not go through the university’s Senate or the Governing Council, faults which they claimed rendered the appointment illegal.

The appointment they said was an outright violation of the laws of the university and the State on the procedures for appointment of Vice Chancellor as well as gazetted government White Paper(Gazette No. 6, Vol. 32, pg A. 51) on the visitation of the institution.

Secretary to State Government(SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa debunked the allegation and explained that when Amosun administration came on board on 29 May, 2011, it discovered that there were series of anomalies in the leadership of the university which made the administration to dissolve the Governing Council and constitute another one.

Adeoluwa stated that it was the constituted council, which was saddled with the responsibility of looking into the various problems in the institution, that recommended Prof. Adesanya’s appointment as the Vice Chancellor in acting capacity.

The SSG dismissed the allegation by ASUU that it did not go through the appropriate process, saying that the Amosun-led administration was law-abiding and would never stand the law on its head.

In a statement signed by the OOU Union Chairman, Dr. Adesola Nassir, on Wednesday afternoon, it balleged that the State government had reneged on its electioneering promises, saying that the university is poorly funded.

Barrister Adeoluwa stated that the lecturers were economical with the truth declaring that salaries and subvention of the varsity which is to the tune of N700m was recently paid by the State government.

Nevertheless, the union declared that it was ready to cooperate with the administration but would not condone any form of illegality. “Our union would wish to be at peace with the present government but we would also not allow the entrenchment of illegality and violation of the university autonomy. We advised that Governing council be urged to review development and advise government appropriately with a view to correcting the anomaly”.