Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has condemned what it described as systematic victimisation perpetrated by the administrators and visitors of several Nigerian public universities.
The Bauchi Zone of ASUU, representing institutions including the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), addressed the media following its Zonal Executive Committee meeting held at ATBU in Bauchi, yesterday.
The zonal coordinator for Bauchi, Prof Timothy Namo said, September 10 was set aside as a national day of solidarity.
Namo criticised the ongoing maltreatment of ASUU members, which he claims has resulted in significant hardship and, in some cases, the death of faculty members.
The ASUU Bauchi Zone identified specific universities where members have faced severe injustices. These include Lagos State University (LASU), Kogi State University (KSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).
Similarly, the Yola Zone of ASUU has also condemned alleged victimisation of members in some universities.
In a press release signed by the Yola zonal coordinator, Dani Mamman, ASUU stated that members of the union in the indicated universities were being subjected to abuse of rights only because they chose to stand for the truth.
“Our members are being subjected to psychological trauma and other forms of victimisation ranging from physical assault, dismissal from service, denial of promotion, stifling of union activities, suspension from duty and statutory meetings, non-payment of promotion arrears, deliberate seizure of salaries, no remittance of third party deductions, the list goes on,” ASUU stated.
The ASUU Yola Zone added that it was speaking out in solidarity with victimised lecturers throughout the country because an injury to one is an injury to all.
