Authorities of the Kwara State University (KWASU) and academic staff are on collision course over plan to form the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The academic staff recently inaugurated KWASU’s ASUU caretaker committee preparatory to the formation of full blown ASUU activities.

The chairman of the caretaker committee is Dr. Dauda Adeshola while the secretary is Dr. Shehu AbdulGaniyu Salau.

But management of the institution described any form of unionism in the school as illegal.

Dr. Adeshola shortly after his inauguration urged members to be resolute in their determination to bargain for better conditions of service for members in the university.

He assured that the association would not contravene laid down rules and regulation of the institution.

The caretaker committee subsequently officially informed the management of the formal inauguration of KWASU ASUU.

In letter dated August 17th, 2015 and signed by Dr. Adeshola said; “this is to officially inform the university management and the academic community that ASUU, KWASU chapter was officially inaugurated Thursday the 13th of August, 2015 where a caretaker committee was set up for the take-off.”

The letter entitled: “Inauguration of ASUU, KWASU chapter,” was addressed to the school registrar.

The letter added; “the inauguration which took place at E-place Plaza, Malete had five protem officers after a keenly contested election. They were elected to run the affairs of the union until a new exco is elected.

“We pledge the loyalty of the union to the university authorities and the government of Kwara state. Kwara state University established in 2009 is now about to witness union activities after the five-year waiting period stipulated by both the National Universities Commission (NUC) and KWASU conditions of Service and Regulations.”

In a circular by the Principal/Protocol Officer, KWASU, Hamidat Yusuf said that described the meetings that cumulated in the emergence of the caretaker committee as “illegal, cultic and combative unionism.”

The circular reads: “This is to inform the university community that the management is aware of groups of KWASU staff holding clandestine meetings in odd venues in Malete in the name of cultism or combative unionism.

“The university wishes to warn all concerned that this is illegal under KWASU rules and no nefarious clandestine group, no matter what name it disguised itself, will be recognized by the university. The university only recently attained five years of peaceful and purposeful academic calendar.

“An acceptable legal unionism for students, academic and non academic staff will be ushered in within an open framework with active participation of management and all concerned. No amount of effort by the handful 17 staff that met outside the campus and held cultist meeting to create chaos in the school will succeed.

“The police, office of the university safety and other security agencies have been put on alert to monitor these nefarious individuals and each of the 17 staff or any other that might be misguided is hereby warned.

“A timetable will be published at appropriate time for peaceful unionism. Some gangs are obviously sad about the peaceful nature of KWASU in the face of national difficulties and seek to cause disaffection with government.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/row-in-kwasu-over-unionisation/

Unionism with an anterior motive... So, they would join in the strike if ASUU embarks on one. Too bad.

kk