Academic Staff Union of Universities Protests Victimisation of Members in Nigerian Universities
In a move to bring attention to the plight of its members, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Calabar Zone has protested the victimisation of its members in various universities across Nigeria. The union, which comprises seven universities, including Ebonyi State University, Abia State University, Akwa Ibom State University, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, University of Calabar, Cross River University of Technology, and the University of Uyo, claims that its members are still being denied their statutory and legal entitlements in some of the nation’s universities.
On Monday, members of the union in the Calabar Zone protested their colleagues’ plight in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State. In a communiquĆ© issued at the end of the protest, they lamented that their members were owed for several months and faced undue maltreatment, including the arrest and prosecution of those who raised the alarm over the untoward situation.
The union’s members are also fighting for better working conditions, including the payment of backlogs of salaries and allowances, proper funding, university autonomy, and academic freedom. Unfortunately, some of its members have been illegally dismissed, including 120 academic staff of Kogi State University who have been illegally dismissed for over seven years.
The union’s chairman, Comrade Happiness Uduk, stated that the suspension, harassment, and intimidation of union members were crippling the fortunes of university education in the country. He also called for the recall of the sacked members, saying that the union demands that the sacked 120 members be reinstated forthwith.
The union’s protest is part of its "Lecturers’ Victimisation Day" campaign, which will be observed annually going forward. The union is also demanding that the visitor to Kogi State University address the matter swiftly and ensure the immediate reinstatement of the illegally sacked members to restore peace and industrial harmony at the university.
The ASUU Calabar Zone has been at the forefront of fighting for the rights of its members, and this protest is a testament to their determination to protect the welfare of their members.
