The Academic Staff Union of Universities branch at the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State, organized a solidarity rally on Tuesday to advocate for the reinstatement of members whose appointments were allegedly unjustly terminated.
According to The PUNCH, the lecturers in question hail from several institutions, including Lagos State University (Ojo), Kogi State University (Ayingba), Ebonyi State University (Abakaliki), Ambrose Alli University (Ekpoma), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (Igbariam), and the Federal University of Technology Owerri.
The rally was in response to what ASUU-FUK described as the “victimisation” of these lecturers.
The union is calling for intervention from the governing councils of the affected universities. Dr. Shehu El-Rasheed, the branch chairman, and Mohammed Musa, the branch secretary, addressed union members during the protest, raising concerns about the treatment of their colleagues.
El-Rasheed highlighted several challenges faced by the affected lecturers, which include “illegal termination of appointments, denial of promotions, and the withholding of salaries.”
He expressed disappointment in the prolonged legal battles many of these cases have faced, noting that the delays have compounded the lecturers’ struggles during a time of economic difficulty.
According to Dr. El-Rasheed, “Some of the cases are in courts of law but because of unnecessary delays in passage of judgment by the courts handling the cases, the affected colleagues are facing untold hardship under this difficult economic situation.”
He emphasized the importance of resolving these issues swiftly, stressing that the delays in achieving justice have worsened the situation for the lecturers involved.
“We hold the belief that justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
ASUU-FUK also appealed to the governing councils and visitors of the universities to take immediate and decisive action in addressing the lingering grievances of their colleagues.
El-Rasheed underscored the urgency of the matter, stating that resolving these issues would help restore normalcy to the universities’ operations.
“The ASUU-FUK is calling on the concerned governing councils and visitors of the respective universities to take decisive action to resolve the lingering issues to pave the way for a smooth operation of the universities,” he concluded.
