The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) branch, has explained why it did not participate in Tuesday’s protest by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
In a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Yunusa Ganiyu, ASUU said the university management was already addressing the raised issues with sincerity and commitment. It urged dialogue over confrontation, saying that while unions have the right to protest, actions must be guided by facts and realities on the ground.
The protest was over the cancellation of the two-day off policy introduced last year to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and the irregular remittance of workers’ pensions.
ASUU noted that management had implemented palliative allowances for staff, was working to clear pension arrears, and had maintained steady remittance of contributory pensions. It added that the peculiar demands of academic work made the two-day off policy impractical.
“As intellectual leaders, we must promote peace and understanding in times of tension,” ASUU stated. “Our strength lies in our commitment to duty, discipline, and academic excellence.”
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU accused ASUU of siding with management against non-academic staff.
Their chairman, Adedeji Lamina, alleged that the university administration was using divide-and-rule tactics to polarize the unions and called on Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun to set up a visitation panel to address the grievances.
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