LASU: Group Rejects Prof Fagbohun, Demands Immediate Reinstatement Of Sacked Lecturers

By Muawiya Shuaibu

A group, the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR,) has kicked against purported moves to recall a former Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Lanre Fagbohun.

It also called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reinstate five victimised leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that were sacked by the institution in 2017.

In a statement signed by its National Chairperson, Rufus Olusesan and its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the group berated Sanwo-Olu for not intervening in the issue which got the lecturers fired after an Appeal Committee was inaugurated by the university to investigate the matter.

“The ASUU-LASU 5, comprising ASUU-LASU chairman, Dr Akinloye Isaac Oyewumi, Vice chairman, Dr Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu, Secretary, Dr Anthony Dansu, Assistant Secretary, Dr Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan and Treasurer, Dr Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare, were sacked by the Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council on September 7th and September 12th, 2017 due to their principled opposition to the anti-worker and anti-student policies of the erstwhile Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun.

“We consider the refusal to recall them a sign of executive lawlessness on the part of the Governor Sanwo-Olu administration and a betrayal of the vow the Governor made in November 2021 when it set up a 10-man visitation panel into LASU with a view to make the institution ‘the best in terms of quality research, pedagogical and administrative excellence, as well as industrial harmony’,” the statement read.

The group called on organised labour – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other organisations to join in getting justice for the sacked dons.

“We hereby demand the immediate recall of the ASUU-LASU 5 as recommended by the Appeal Committee.

“We hereby call on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Lagos and nationally as well as civil society organizations to publicly condemn the Lagos State government for this anti-worker disposition and call on the government to immediately recall the victimized workers.

“We urge them to organize solidarity actions including petitions, protest and demonstrations to back the call for the recall of ASUU-LASU 5,” the statement added.