The zonal leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has queried the University of Lagos, UNILAG, the acting chairman of the union, Olusola Sowunmi, for endorsing a communique that condemned the removal of Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
In the query, a copy of which was made known to journalists on Thursday, August 20, 2020, and which was signed by the National Vice President/ Chairman, Western Zone, Jimoh Alfred Ilesanmi, Sowunmi was given 72 hours to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.
In the query, SSANU leadership said its attention was drawn to the communique titled “Joint communique on the Wale Babalakin-led Council of the University of Lagos for its unjust, ungodly, and illegal removal of the university Vice-Chancellor” dated August 13, 2020, and asked Sowunmi to explain his role in the matter.
“Top leadership of SSANU both at the zonal and the national levels are highly surprised that contrary to instructions given you by both the National Vice President/Chairman of your zone, the National Public Relations Officer, and the National President of the union in phone conversations they had with you shortly after the removal of the Vice-Chancellor.
To the effect that you should remain neutral in the matter and try not to draw SSANU as a union into ongoing battle for supremacy in the university; you turned deaf ears to the instructions of your superior officers in the union and went ahead to co-sign the communique with other union leaders in UNILAG without clearance from your superior officers “What more, information reaching us is that you did not carry your exco along and you signed as the Chairman instead of Acting Chairman,” the query read. Recall that on August 13, 2020, all the staff unions in UNILAG held a joint Congress where resolutions condemning Ogundipe’s removal and the rejection of the appointment of Prof. Omololu Soyombo as the Acting VC were adopted.
The unions also held a joint rally during which Ogundipe arrived at the campus and joined in the solidarity march to the Main Gate of the school.
The unions were SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
NASU was the first to pull out of the resolutions and SSANU also did the same on Wednesday. The position of NAAT is not yet clear, but ASUU said it would not change its position.
Source: Vanguard
