Concerned LASU professors back dismissal of 3 ASUU officials

Some concerned professors at the Lagos State University (LASU) has said that the recent dismissal of three executive of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not a case of victimisation.

At a news briefing on Tuesday in Lagos, the concerned LASU professors described the dismissal as normal or routine process which should not be blown out of proportion.

Prof. Martins Anetekhai, Chairman, LASU Policy Advisory and Conflict Resolution Committee, said that dismissal of staff was a normal process the institution undergo regularly to sanitise the system.

“The pronunciation of dismissal does not make it the end, they are free to appeal to the governing council or go to court.

“I made a lot of efforts by visiting them to resolve the issues and that they should know that a union leader is not above the law.

“This dismissal is an in-house issue and we are trying to make sure everything works out perfectly,” he said.

Anetekhai, however, advised ASUU-LASU executives to sit up, saying that it was unfortunate that things degenerated to such level.

“Our current administration is a very rare breed of truth and sacrifice, so I appeal to media organisations to always support positivity about LASU,” he said.

Also speaking, Dean of Management Sciences, Prof. Babatunde Yusuf, said that the university’s rules and condition of service clearly stipulate dismissal as the punishment for unlawful possession of documents.

Yusuf said that other staff also benefitted from the allegation of backdated promotion raised against the Vice -Chancellor.

“The union leaders are not meant for people who wish to be permanent in the position because we have about 800 academic staff who are also members of the union.

“ASUU is not grounded in LASU which means others members can take the leadership role and staff should know that LASU comes first before ASUU,” he said.

Also, Prof. Sola Fosudo said that nobody was victimised, explaining that anyone found guilty of any misconduct would be dismissed.

“The decision of the dismissal was reached by more than a body , as it started with investigative panel, joint committee of heads and council before the governing council made its final decision.

“My promotion was also backdated to 2015, likewise some of the staff promotions too,” he said.

Mr Oladele Olawale, President, LASU Students’ Union, said that the university law was binding on both students and staff of the institution.

“A community where there is no law, there is no offense, but when there is a law and an offense is committed, then the law must take its course.

“We are only talking about the dismissal, but no one is talking about the promotion,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LASU Governing Council had at its 122nd meeting on Thursday promoted 31 academic staff, 346 non-academic staff .

The Council also approved the dismissal of eight academic staff and three non-academic staff over issues bothering on absconment from duty, certificate falsification, theft of confidential document, sale of marks, among others.(NAN)