The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked the authorities of University of Ilorin to tender an apology to the family of late Professor Samson Olatunde Oduleye, a member of the Unilorin 49+ who died recently and others vindicated by Supreme Court judgement.
The union also asked the federal government to show evidence that it has captured in the 2019 budget, the balance of N25 billion earned academic allowance recently released to universities across the country.
ASUU national president, Professor Abiodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Ilorin at the sideline of ‘‘Day of Tributes’’ held in honour of the late Oduleye who was a member of the Unilorin 49+ held at the deceased’s Adewole Estate residence, Ilorin in Kwara state.
The day of tributes which was attended by leaders of ASUU from various branches across the country, was at the instance of Unilorin 49 +.
While paying glowing tributes to the deceased, Ogunyemi said the Supreme Court judgement which favoured the affected lecturers were enough for the university management to admit that it ‘‘acted wrongly and should own up to its wrong doing’’.
‘‘Professor Oduleye won all his court cases against the University of Ilorin. The University should therefore see the passing away of this relentless advocate of excellence, justice and fairness in the institution as occasion for sober reflection and opportunity to mend its ways’’, he said.
While describing the deceased as ‘‘a comrade Prof’’, the ASUU president who presented a 96-page ‘‘book of tributes’’ containing over 74 entries at the occasion, said ‘‘the university owes him (late Oduleye) and his family an apology, as it also does many other victims’’ of the Unilorin 49 + struggle.
On ASUU threat to mobilise its members for industrial action should the federal government failed to fulfil agreement reached with the union, the ASUU president, said the union had shelved its planned strike.
Ogunyemi, however, demanded for an evidence to show that the balance of the earned academic allowance had been ‘‘mainstreamed in the budget’’.
The late Prof. Oduleye, was a former chairman of ASUU, Unilorin Chapter; he was aged 75.
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