By Segun Adeyemi
The Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Eyitope Ogunbodede, has said that lecturers in the university won’t be taking part in a nationwide strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of the Universities, ASUU.
He said the lectures of the institution are not interested in the strike action, saying all academic activities are currently taking place in the university.
“OAU is not on strike. As at today, no lecturer has told me that they want to go on strike. We are not participating in any national strike,” Mr. Ogunbodede said.
“If they tell me they want to go on strike, then it is a different case. As such, I must have seen that all of my academic staff want to go on strike.
“In OAU, we have ‘unions’; neither of the two has told me they want to go on strike so we are not joining any strike at all.”
In 2016 The OAU Academic Staff Union of Universities split into two factions after a group of the teachers announced the removal of Caleb Aborisade as the union’s chairman, due to a crisis over the appointment of Anthony Elujoba as acting vice-chancellor of the university.
Mr Aborisade and a group of teachers were opposed to the process that led to the appointment of the acting vice-chancellor.
Although Mr Aborisade refused to step down after teachers loyal to the acting vice-chancellor announced his removal, they dissolved the leadership of ASUU and announced Niyi Sunmonu as chairman of a caretaker committee in its place.
The national body of the union however stood by Mr Aborisade and does not recognise the caretaker committee, insisting that its appointment did not follow due process.
