From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Kano Zone, decried incessant victimization, intimidation, harassment and dehumanization of its members in a number of public universities across the country.
This was contained in a statement signed by the zonal coordinator of the Union Professor Abdulkadir Muhammad and made it available to news men on Saturday.
The statement that called on due process and adherence to the rules and regulations governing the operation of the Nigerian university system said , the victimization is mainly perpetrated by the university administrations with tacit and, at times, open endorsement of the Chairmen of the Governing Councils and Visitors of the affected universities.
According to the statement, the victimization and degradation of the members are more pronounced in Kogi State University (KSU), Anyingba; Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo; and Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki. Others include: Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma; Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO); and Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam.
The statement maintained that, victimization of ASUU members and crass violation of university rules and regulations are not peculiar to KSU, LASU and EBSU but are also obtainable in many others.
“ASUU-Kano Zone frowns at the dehumanization, denial of promotion, non-payment of backlogged salaries and arrears, travesty of justice, denial of freedom of assembly and association, increased violation of other fundamental human rights of its members and all forms of victimization in many public universities.
“We, therefore, call on the respective university administrations, Governing Councils and the Visitors of the affected universities to respect the university laws, respect freedom of assembly and association, end victimization of innocent intellectuals and their families, recall all the illegally suspended members and reinstate those unjustly dismissed”, the statement said.