BEVERLY HILLS, July 21, (THEWILL) – The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has come hard on the Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who it said, lacks the powers to proscribe the activities of the union in Kogi State University, Anyigba.
THEWILL recalls that Bello had while prescribing the activities of ASUU in the state-owned university, stated that the union had rebuffed all efforts by the government to persuade it to end a six-month old strike, including meeting over 90 per cent of the union’s demands.
The Zonal Coordinator, Nsukka Zone of the union, Prof David Ikoni, while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday, said the action of the governor revealed his ignorance of the law and the rules guiding the operations of ASUU, and gave him away as a despot.
While declaring that the purported proscription is null and void, the ASUU chief said the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the union would meet on Saturday for further actions on the matter.
“By section 40 of the Constitution, every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interest.
“The actions of the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of allegedly proscribing ASUU-KSU, Anyigba therefore smacked off ignorance of the position of law and brings to fore the question of whether he has the mental capacity and the needed leadership quality to lead as a governor,” he said.
Ikoni maintained that ASUU, as a trade union with several members, had every right to agitate and struggle for the protection of the interest and welfare of its members especially in a democratic setting.
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