ASUU asks members to boycott Unilorin

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members nationwide to boycott all academic and allied activities at the University of Ilorin.

ASUU wielded the big stick following what it called ‘University of Ilorin administration’s persistent acts of arbitrariness and persecution of loyal members, asserting that the University of Ilorin academic staff would also not be allowed to carry out any academic activity on any public universities in Nigeria.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of its Awka National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Ibadan over the weekend by the Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter of the union, Dr Deji Omole.

ASUU said despite efforts at resolving the crisis in the University of Ilorin, the university management ‘and its sponsored groups’ were fuelling the crisis.

Omole further said the union had also directed members to boycott all Unilorin based journals, quarterlies and newsletters, while articles from academic staff of the University of Ilorin would not be accepted by journals for peer review and or publication in other Nigerian universities.

The ASUU resolutions read in part: “Contrary to the law and despite the ruling of the National Industrial Court, the University has continued to prevent the Union from functioning on its campus. The University has also continued to forcefully collect check-off money from academics of the university in the name of the Union without remitting it to the Union. The Union is therefore bound to protect the principles of democracy and the exercise of freedom in the academia, and also insist on the right to function through its own accredited representatives on Nigerian University campuses.”