ASUU Faults Dissolution Governing Council Of OAU

A visitation committee set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the
dissolution of the Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

The committee said President Muhammadu Buhari erred when he dissolved the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy and
approved the suspension of an already concluded process for the appointment of a new vice-chancellor.

The actions, it insisted, contravened the ASUU-FGN agreement.

The committee, which submitted its report to the NEC at a meeting in Ambrose Alli University,Ekpoma last weekend, noted that “the Governing
Council followed the process of selection of Vice Chancellor to its conclusion.”

It recommended condemnation of the action of Buhari, who is the Visitor to the institution,stating that it violated the Universities Autonomy Act (UAA), which was a product of the agreement reached between the ASUU and the
FGN.

The committee headed by the national vice president of ASUU, Prof. V. E. Osodeke, had eight
members, including two zonal coordinators and three immediate past zonal coordinators.

The committee was set up in the wake of the crisis that rocked the university following the appointment of a new VC.

The Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and some members of
ASUU (OAU Branch) had expressed strong displeasure against the process that produced Prof. Ayobami Salami as the 11th VC of the institution.

They alleged the Prof. Tale Omole’s
administration and the Governing Council skewed the process in favour of Salami who was subsequently appointed.

The union bodies took the matter to the High Court at Osogbo, Osun State and embarked on a strike which led to the closure of the university for weeks.

A faction within the OAU branch of ASUU headed by Prof. Peter Akinola sided with the two non-academic unions.

It wrote a petition to the national body, claiming certain wrongdoings against the branch