By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities(SSANU) and Non – Academic Staff of Union Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU) chapter have jointly accused a sister union – the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of being a meddlesome Interloper in their affairs.
SSANU and NASU which described the ASUU – OOU as an appendage of the university management and a shadow of itself under the “iron clad” of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, warned that the lecturers body risks inviting anarchy to the state – owned varsity if it doesn’t stop its acts of meddlesomeness.
These were contained in a rejoinder by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU signed by Comrade (Dr) Abiodun Adedeji Lamina – Chairman, SSANU-OOU and Comrade Adebowale Sunday Odufuwa – Chairman, NASU-OOU, in reaction to a viral press release issued earlier by the branch ASUU.
The Daily Crucible reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye chapter had on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to peace and harmony in the state – owned institution and appealed to all staff – academic and non – academic, to exercise restraint and avoid actions capable of disrupting the fragile stability that had been built over the years through collective efforts.
ASUU said the appeal became necessary following an information from the Ogun State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) about a planned protest, Tuesday, November 4, by some members of staff of the University over pension issues and the “two-days-off” work policy.
The ASUU – OOU made this position known through a release by its Chairman, Comrade Yinusa Olumuyiwa Ganiyu, who recalled that the Union had provided clarifications on the true position of things within the University in the course of engagement with the NLC leadership on the issues raised by the concerned staff.
He also acknowledged that every union has the right to express grievances, but advised that such expressions must be guided by facts and institutional realities.
He submitted that the University Administration had not neglected its obligations to staff.
…SSANU, NASU kick
However, Bothered that the ASUU was acting against the principle of camaraderie that exists among Labour Unions, the two unions berated it for dabbling into matters that were clearly between them, and the management as well as the council.
The SSANU and NASU wondered why ASUU-OOU members who knew nothing about the enormity of the issues involved in the matter were the ones giving excuses for the University Management, stressing that this confirmed the concern of many that ASUU had been hijacked and made an extension of the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
…The full text of SSANU and NASU rejoinder reads below
Our attention has been drawn to the press release virally circulated by ASUU-OOU on the peaceful protest carried out by the Joint Action Committee of the Non Academic Staff Union and Senior Staff Association of Olabisi Onabanjo University Branch today, Tuesday 4th November, 2025 to call attention of all stakeholders to the issues of concerns that we have repeatedly discussed without success with both the Management and the Governing Council of the University.
To say the least, the content of the release by ASUU-OOU, aside selling them out as an appendage of Management clearly confirm that the Union has become a shadow of itself under the iron clad rule of fears by the present Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Johnson Agboola who was a former Chairman of the Union between year 2012 and 2016.
It is very clear to any discerning mind that ASUU-OOU sold itself out for a pot of porridge as a meddlesome interloper on issues that are clearly between other Unions, Management and Council while obviously acting against the principle of camaraderie that exists among Labour Unions by trying to do a white washing propaganda for the Management. We are not unaware that even most ordinary members of ASUU-OOU have clearly noted that they no longer have a Union as the leadership of the Union has been hijacked and now run as an extension of the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
The JAC of NASU and SSANU-OOU decided to stage a peaceful protest to call attention to the graveyard peace currently being enjoyed by the University and to sound a note of warning that all is not well before the system will implode again. The situation has been made worse by the absence of a fair and just Governing Council, which, rather than being the regulator of the system, is itself being ruled and regulated by the Vice-Chancellor because members have sold out their integrity for pittance.
It is clear that ASUU-OOU members do not appreciate the enormity of the issue we raised because they are not concerned by the issues, and it’s therefore a surprise that they are the one writing to give excuses for Management. This struggle started in July 2024 when the Vice-Chancellor used the former Registrar to rig the election of the representative of the Congregation to the Governing Council. The Vice-Chancellor and the then Registrar manipulated the processes and the laws of the University to disenfranchise many of our members from being eligible to attend, nominate, or be nominated for the available position.
Aside from that, the Notice of Election was kept away from the generality of Non-Teaching Staff for the period earmarked for nomination. We only got to find a leaked copy two days to the end of the nomination period, and even by then, the clauses inserted to disenfranchise members were discovered. Despite different correspondences and protests against the illegality, the Vice-Chancellor went ahead and used ASUU-OOU members alone to conduct a kangaroo election to ensure that his cronies were returned UNOPPOSED as members of the Governing Council. Notwithstanding the petitions and reports to the Chairman of Council, the issue was swept under the carpet, and the illegal people claimed to be elected were allowed to sit and represent the Congregation until today.
On issues of pension arrears, it is on record that ASUU-OOU members did not participate in the contributory pension scheme until recently. Thus, it is surprising that the Union is meddling in the resistance by our Unions to stop the proposal of the Vice-Chancellor to use the arrears of our unremitted contributions since 2008 to settle a phantom debt he claimed the staff are owing from a supposed overpayment of salaries paid to all staff for three years. The last time we checked, that was the proposal the Vice-Chancellor called all the staff together to come and endorse which we have since held a Congress to discuss and rejected the proposal as not only oppressive but unlawful because it is tantamount to the mortgage our future by the Vice-Chancellor. Our rejection of the proposal had been communicated in writing to the Management of the University and it is one of the reasons why our Union members are being targeted by Management for destruction. We therefore do not know where the ASUU-OOU got the information of the engagement being claimed the Management had with Staff Unions on how to pay the arrears.
ASUU-OOU may not be aware of all the manipulations being engaged by Management to deliberately ensure that the Staff Conditions of Service is not revised to enable members of our unions to be placed appropriately. This is because while the Non-Teaching staff members for a long while are being held to the 2006 Condition of Service, ASUU-OOU members are enjoying a promotion criteria periodically reviewed to ensure that they are promoted as at when due. So, while our members are stagnant in the same positions as Deputy Registrar on CONTISS 14 since 2007 for instance, those recruited as Lecturer II in the same year on equivalent of CONTISS 9 are already appointed as Professors on CONTISS 15 equivalents. Many others whose careers have been elongated to terminate at CONTISS 13 have presently stagnated at CONTISS 09 since 2007. The Vice-Chancellor had never kept his promise to ensure the speedy approval of the revised Conditions of Service even after rejection of the outcome of the two former exercises.
The issue of the two days palliatives as announced by the Governor and Visitor to the University for every staff has been a sore point for implementation. It would be recalled that the Management refused to implement the circular in September 2024 until tempers flared and a joint Congress of the two Unions mandated the Exco to declare industrial action. Despite the cooperation of the staff unions with Management to ensure that work flow was never disturbed by ensuring that members adhered to the agreed modus operandi, the Vice-Chancellor working in tandem with some HODs had always found a way to harass our members on this palliatives describing the decision of the Governor as “cowardice surrender to Labour agitation”. He therefore never hid his intention to cancel it at the slightest opportunity.
It was not a surprise, therefore, when he hoodwinked the Governing Council by submitting a memo based on the complaints of some HODs who are ASUU-OOU members. ( as prompted). It was this unilateral action of the Vice-Chancellor without any form of consultation that generated a spontaneous reaction. As it is the usual, our Governing Council never deemed it fit to hold any discussion before taking the decision because it is against the Non-Teaching staff members whom the Vice-Chancellor had made them believe are inconsequential. It was after our reactions and ultimatum that the Chairman of Council dispatched the same discredited Committee of Labour Relations to hold discussion with us to understand why we must comply with the decision and even with a veiled threat to deal with our members if we fail to comply. It is therefore within our rights to reject the unwholesome decision of the Governing Council that is primed to further increase the financial pressures on our members. It is therefore unthinkable that ASUU-OOU is the one explaining to us or anyone what Management or Council has done or not done in respect of an issue that does not concern their own members.
It is on record that members of the Non-Teaching staff Unions have been steady partners in progress in the building and sustaining the peace and progress of this University over the years. We have tolerated and suffered the various kinds of issues of deprivation in the bid to ensure this University survived this far.
Therefore, there is no way anyone needs to advise us on patriotic duties towards OOU as a University. We wish to admonish ASUU-OOU and their sponsors to note that they are inviting anarchy by dabbling into issues that do not concern them. It is within the rights of our members to protest against the activities of an insensitive Governing Council and a draconian Vice-Chancellor. It’s therefore a warning that we shall not stand akimbo to allow the Vice-Chancellor use the ASUU-OOU or some sponsored groups of students to derail our agitation under any guise.
A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE.
Comrade (Dr) Abiodun Adedeji Lamina – Chairman, SSANU-OOU
Comrade Adebowale Sunday Odufuwa – Chairman, NASU-OOU
