SOJI AJIBOLA, Ibadan
The Academic Union of Universities, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities have described Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde order for the Vice-Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University, Professor Michael Olufisayo to step aside as illegal and called for reversal with immediate effect.
The unions in separate statements said the order violated all the existing laws of university.
ASUU in a statement signed its Chairman, Dr Biodun Olaniran and Secretary, Dr Toyin Abegunrin, stated that if there was any perceived misdemeanour on the part of any officer appointed by the law in the university, due process according to the law, must be followed to address such.
it added “That the union acknowledges the power of the visitor to hire and fire on one part and that such power is premised on the recommendation of the governing council according to the extant laws;
“That as at today, the governing council has not been properly constituted in line with the law of the University.
In a similar development, SSANU, LAUTECH Ogbomoso chapter, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting, said the governor lacked constitutional power to remove the Vice-Chancellor.
The communique reads:. LAUTECH is not an appendage of the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Oyo State or the extension of the Office of the Hon. Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology of the State but a statutory body that has its establishment law as may be amended.
ii). The law of the university did not give power to administer the university to the Commissioner but the Governing Council
iii). The power to appoint and terminate staff appointments is resided in the Governing Council and not the Visitor or his proxies including the Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology.
iv). The University enjoys autonomy in Nigeria, Oyo State inclusive.
v). The purported letter signed by the Commissioner of Education, Science & Technology will have no basis in law and can only generate animosity and innuendos within the university community and between Oyo and Osun States more so, the joint ownership status of the university was just severed in December 2020 and unfortunately the deposed Vice Chancellor is a vestige of the arrangement prior to the dismantling of the joint ownership status.
vi). The “step aside” directive is considered hasty, cumbersome and incongruous to the order that brought in the current principal officers of the university on February 14, 2019, and should be reversed in the name of equity, fairness and good conscience and also negated the position of His Excellency on LAUTECH as said in his radio and television broadcast of Saturday, February 20, 2021.
“We would like to remind His Excellency, Engineer Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde that on Saturday, February 20, 2021, on a live radio program anchored by the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State(BCOS), he informed the whole world that he heard on a good note that the Vice Chancellor incited the Unions on campus to go on strike to demand for the payment of their Eight(8) months outstanding salaries and allowances having paid Eight(8)billion naira to Osun State on the separation of joint ownership.
“The Governor in his final submission reasoned that he will allow the Governing Council to investigate the matter when it resumed work in order of him not to be seen as been despotic and undemocratic in dispensing judgment on the matter and that he will possibly not like a court case on the matter.
“Today, that Council has not officially assumed duty in the university since its inauguration by the Governor on April 1, 2021.
”Can we now ask the Commissioner where he derived the power to order the “step aside” of the Vice Chancellor when the Visitor he claimed to have directed him has openly declared that such power belongs to the Governing Council?
“Our Union is not interested in who becomes the Vice Chancellor beyond the fact that we lobbied the last Governing Council to consider and give us a homegrown Chief Executive Officer of the University after more than 25years of existence.”
The union pleaded with Makinde to rescind the directive and allow the rule of law to prevail under the principles of natural justice pending the open investigation of the Vice Chancellor by the Governing Council if need be.