The National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has declared that any move by the federal government to ban the Union will not succeed.
Osodeke said ASUU’s vision is premised on aligning with a worthy cause for the progress of the country’s educational sector and its positive multiplier effects on all other areas of the nation.
Osodeke said these while unveiling a book titled “A Golat Indeed”, at the special commemorative programme organized by the ASUU chapter of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye in Ogun State to honour the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde, whose tenure ended two weeks ago.
The ASUU president also warned advised Vice Chancellors of public universities in Nigeria not to see themselves as the Chief Executive Officers (C.E.Os) of their respective universities, saying that they are just the ‘first among their equals’ in the academic community.
Osodeke, who described the Minister of Education, Dr. Chris Ngige as a jester over his efforts at proscribing ASUU, also berated the federal government for always being envious of ASUU’s achievements at setting qualitative and enduring standards in the areas of infrastructural provisions and services when compared to the substandard it preferred dishing out despite the sufficient fund at its disposal to provide such.
“I can see why Ngige is interested in banning ASUU because once ASUU is proscribed, all the union’s assets automatically becomes federal government’s property, even when the government is bereft of ideas to put in place, qualitative assets in the midst of sufficient funds at its disposal as done in the University of Ibadan, UniPort, University of Maiduguri among other places”.
“You will never succeed in banning ASUU because ours is a union that assesses the system and aligns with worthy course without being biased for the progress of the Nigerian educational society.”
Commenting on the VCs and ASUU’s relationship towards achieving excellent university administration, Osodeke maintained that any Vice Chancellor, who looks at the system and sees himself as one among equals will not have problem running his university.
Citing examples of some universities where their VCs and Visitors give approval before a lecturer can be promoted, even despite the recommendation of the governing councils for such, he said some university VCs act with military fiats.
“One thing we have gotten wrong is that in the universities, we look at the VCs as Chief Executive Officers (C.E.Os) which by the law, it is not true. A Vice Chancellor is just one among equals and it’s only when he sees himself as one that he will not have problem with ASUU”.
“All the actions and things done by the committee set up; you are to look at those committees’ actions and agree or disagree. And when you disagree, you go back to them. Unfortunately, what we currently have in Nigeria is that over 90 percent of our universities today are VCs, who look at themselves as C.E.Os and there is nowhere in the laws that permits a VC as C.E.O. because everything he does can be challenged”.
ASUU National President however, commended the outgone VC, Professor Olatunde for achieving a “most peaceful” administration during his tenure, stressing that the celebration accorded him by the OOU chapter of his union clearly attested to that.
“Having assessed Professor Olatunde and found him worthy, the union was glad to associate with him to the extent that we have to suspend every other official engagements of the union to celebrate him. It is a pride for us to have a Vice Chancellor whom ASUU believed deserved to be honoured”.
Earlier in his address, Chairperson of ASUU, OOU chapter, Dr. Joel Okewale, hailed the immediate past Vice – Chancellor for manifesting spirit of comradeship while his tenure lasted.
Dr. Okewale said that spirit of comradeship and willingness of Prof. Olatunde to engage, as opposed to bossing over everyone, led to many fruitful discussions, acceptance and implementation of proposals in the interest of OOU.
“To us, Professor Ganiyu Olatunde, in his five and half years as the head of this university, demonstrated the spirit of comradeship as espoused in the principles of our Union in his conduct and relationship with members of the university community in general and ASUU in particular.
“As a Vice Chancellor, one unique feature of Professor Olatunde’s administration was his willingness to engage people, no matter who they are, in fruitful discussions on issues that would bring development to this university.
“As a Union, we took advantage of that opportunity and made several useful proposals which he accepted and implemented in the interest of this great University. For this we can boldly and openly say that we are proud of our relationship with Professor G.O Olatunde, a quintessential Vice – Chancellor,” Okewale said.
The guest lecturer and former Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Bello, speaking on ‘The roles of Vice Chancellors in the evolution of and sustenance of a viable university system,’ said a vice – Chancellor should be an experienced academic, researcher, command respect from peers and have administrative experience.
Prof. Bello who is the Pro Chancellor of Ogun State – owned Tai Solarin University of Education Ijagun, the above attributes were necessary to help a Vice Chancellor galvanise both human and material resources to drive a university to deliver on its core mandate of teaching, research and service.
