PLASU ASUU Stands in Solidarity with Persecuted Members Across Five States
By Comfort Akudiang, Jos
The Plateau State University (PLASU) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared its unwavering support for its counterparts in five Nigerian states, condemning the victimization and dismissal of members by university administrations.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Jos, PLASU ASUU Chairman, Comrade Monday Zitta Hassan, voiced the branch’s solidarity with the ASUU branches at Kogi State University, Lagos State University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Ebonyi State University, and Ambrose Ali University. He highlighted their ongoing struggles for justice, academic freedom, and an end to what he described as unjust persecution.
Hassan specifically criticized the Kogi State government for the dismissal of 120 ASUU members since 2017, following a lawful industrial action demanding better working conditions, earned allowances, and improved university funding. He accused the state of deliberate victimization.
Turning to Lagos State University (LASU), Hassan alleged that the institution’s management dismissed local union officials in 2017 and 2019 for advocating adherence to legal procedures, including protesting the unlawful promotion of the vice-chancellor to the rank of professor.
Both Kogi State University and LASU, he noted, have refused to reinstate the affected staff despite multiple investigative panels clearing them of any wrongdoing.
Hassan urged these institutions to immediately halt the persecution of ASUU members and implement the recommendations of the investigation panels, emphasizing the need for justice and adherence to the rule of law.
