Trouble is looming at the Kaduna State University (KASU), following the purported sack of 16 lecturers and two non academic state staff by the university management.
The university’s chapter of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), however described the sack as illegal and called on the university management to rescind its decision.
The affected staff were sacked for participating in the recent warning strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.
The NLC, had in May 17, embarked on a five day warning strike to protest against “mass sack” of workers by the state government.
However, the warning strike was suspended three days after, following the intervention of the federal government.
A statement issued on Monday evening, jointly signed by KASU the Chapter Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Peter Adamu and the acting Secretary Mr. Silas Akos, said the “illegal attempt to dismiss the 18 staff which include the ASUU chairman, contravenes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the NLC and the Kaduna state government on 20th May, 2021 “which explicitly states that no worker shall be victimized for his/her participation in the industrial action”.
The statement noted that evidence of the purported sack by the university was contained in a memo (KASU/REG/061/VOL 1/446) from the University Management to the governor through the Commissioner for Education dated 20th May, 2021.
The statement maintained that, “In the light of the foregoing, the union wishes to state the following obvious facts that:
“The 18 affected members of staff neither received queries nor faced any disciplinary committee as claimed by the University Management.
“This is completely false and baseless with no evidence whatsoever.
“The purported sack letter also mandated the office of the Accountant General of Kaduna State to stop remitting the Check-off Dues of the union which is against the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act N0. 17 of 2005, that clearly explains Check-off Dues to be statutorily permitted deductions”,
According to ASUU, “The Trade Unions Act recognizes Check-off Dues as compulsory and automatic for members and do not rely on the pleasure of an employer.”
The statement noted that “In spite of the provisions of the laws, the government of Kaduna state in cahoots with the Management of Kaduna State University illegally concocted and instituted the purported sack of the staff and stoppage of Check-off dues without recourse to the University Laws and relevant national and international labour laws.”
The union maintained that, “this illegal attempt to dismiss the 18 staff contravenes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Labour Union and the Kaduna State Government on 20th May, 2021 which explicitly states that no worker shall be victimized for his/her participation in the industrial action by Labour.
“This agreement has been grossly violated by the Kaduna State Government.
“The union condemns this act and calls on the management of the university to rescind her decision on the purported sack of the 18 staff and stoppage of ASUU- KASU Check-off Dues.”
The university management had in a memo on last Wednesday to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, though the commissioner of education, said it identified 16 academic staff and two non-academic staff that participated fully in the NLC.
“In view of His Excellency directive, the list of the affected staff has been forwarded to the office of the Head of Service through duly completed Exit Variation Forms for stoppage of salaries with effect from 20th May, 2021,” the memo said.
It listed those affected by the sack as: Peter Adamu, chapter Chairman of ASUU, Peter Waziri Maitalo, Usman Abbas, Jihad Ismaila, Hussaini Bala, Abubakar Mustapha Abubakar Abdullahi, Kamal Dan’azumi and Alhassan Usman.
Others are Sadiq Abubakar, Daniel Gillian Lami Nina Ochigbo, Usman Kubau, Salome Danjuma, Monday Dangana, Ja’afar Sani, Silas Garba and Abdulrasheed Sani.
