ASUU imposes embargo on LASU over sack of union executives

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has placed an embargo on the Lagos State University (LASU) over what it described as infractions committed by Olanrewaju Fagbohun, the institution’s vice-chancellor.

ASUU disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, as part of a resolution reached during its national executive council (NEC) meeting, which held at the Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT).

According to the union, the embargo will affect conferences, visitations, sabbaticals, and other collaborations from other universities to LASU and vice versa.

It stated that the decision comes in response to Fagbohun’s “persistent attacks” on ASUU, which led to the “vindictive” dismissal of the union’s chairperson and vice-chairperson in LASU in 2017.

Other issues that prompted the reaction, ASUU said, include the dismissal of ASUU-LASU’s secretaries, treasurer in 2019, as well as the stoppage of the union’s check-off dues in LASU.

“At the NEC of our great union held at ESUT from Saturday, 7th March to 8th March 2020, NEC considered the report of its ad-hoc committee on LASU and resolved as follows,” the statement read.

“Sanction should be imposed on LASU to the effect that the vice-chancellor of LASU, Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun is to be declared an enemy of the union.

“Sabbatical leave, visitation, part-time lectureship, external exams, and external assessment, conferences, workshops, and research collaboration/visits to and from LASU should be stopped.

“Legal actions should be taken immediately against the impostor group individually and collectively. The union’s lawyer should reply to the VC’s letter dated February 4, 2020, to put records straight about the purported election of a new ASUU-LASU executive.

“Where extremely necessary, the union will consider application for exemption for members in good standing on merit. The branch exco is to generate a list of members in good standing.

“With this, academic staff from LASU are barred from other public universities just as academic staff from other public universities are not allowed in LASU for any of the activities listed.”