TheCable

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has called on Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos, to reinstate five lecturers of Lagos State University (LASU) sacked in 2017.

The lecturers, who are members of LASU’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), were reportedly sacked over alleged opposition to “anti-worker and anti-student policies” at the institution.

They are Akinloye Isaac Oyewumi (ASUU-LASU chairman), Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu (vice-chairman), Anthony Dansu (secretary), Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan (assistant secretary), and Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare (treasurer).

Last year, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the vice-chancellor of the institution, constituted an appeal committee to investigate the sack of the lecturers.

The committee, headed by Dapo Asaju, was said to have recommended the reinstatement of the lecturers.

But in a statement on Tuesday, CDWR lamented that a year after the committee’s recommendation, the lecturers are yet to be reinstated.

In the statement signed by Rufus Olusesan, its national chairman, and Chinedu Bosah, its publicity secretary, the group accused Sanwo-Olu of “executive recklessness”.

CDWR said the sacked lecturers “continue to suffer an unjust dismissal” and demanded their immediate reinstatement.

“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 reads. 

The group also called out labour unions in the state over their alleged silence on the matter.

“Meanwhile the reign of silence from the labour movement while the Lagos State government rides roughshod over the rights of the ASUU-LASU 5 in LASU has become too deafening,” the group added. 

“So far, the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headed by Comrade Funmi Sessi has not lifted a finger to speak against the unjust dismissal of these workers leaders.

“While we acknowledge the work the Lagos NLC council has done in campaigning for the right of workers in the state especially casual workers and factory workers, it leaves much to be desired for the NLC Lagos State Council to continue to ignore the case of the ASUU-LASU 5 who are leaders of a branch of an affiliate of the Congress. 

“An injury to one is an injury to all. 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 organisations to publicly condemn the Lagos State government for this anti-worker disposition and call on the government to immediately recall the victimised workers.

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