Sanwo-Olu yet to reinstate dismissed LASU lecturers – Lagos residents

Residents of Ikoga-Zebbe in Badagry Local Government Area have once again called on Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, to lift the embargo on the reinstatement of Dr Tony Dansu and four other officers of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Lagos State University (LASU), who they said were wrongfully dismissed in 2017 and 2019.

LASU Governing Council had at its 122nd meeting on the 12th of September 2019, promoted 31 academic staff members, and 346 non-academic staff members, and also dismissed some lecturers of the varsity.

Between September 2017 and September 2019, five executive members of ASUU-LASU – Dr Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi (Chairman); Dr Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu (Vice Chairman); Dr Anthony Dansu (Secretary); Dr Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan (Assistant Secretary); and Dr Oluwakemi Adebisi Aboderin-Shonibare (Treasurer); were dismissed by the previous Governing Council of LASU based on frivolous charges brought against them by the administration of Professor Lanre Fagbohun.

Justice O.A. Obaseki-Osaghae of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria Lagos in the ruling of the court in suit No: NICN/LA/493/2018 on July 11 2019, stated that under the Freedom of Information Act and other relevant laws cited, the university authorities have no such powers to proceed against officers of the union in these cases; that both parties are creations of law, and must therefore respect the law.

Given that the issue was not due for judicial review since no damage had been done yet; even as the court was mindful of the breach of constitutional rights of the officers by the university authority, the two parties should go and follow the path of the law for the sake of peace, order and good administration in the university and its community.

BusinessDay reported in May 2024 that the state residents in a protest expressed their displeasure about the dismissal and called on Sanwo-Olu to intervene and reinstate the lecturers as ordered by the court.

Speaking to our correspondent on Wednesday, James Avoseh, Dr Mayowa Adejobi, Barr. Tinka Gabriel, Ademola, Francis Avoseh, Barr. Medemaku Noah; on behalf of the community residents, appealed to Sanwo-Olu to “give room for justice” and unconditionally reinstate the varsity lecturers dismissed wrongfully.

They noted that a consolidation approach after the peaceful protest was taken by reaching out to stakeholders in government to address the matter, adding that they had written letters to offices and individuals including Sanwo-Olu, the deputy governor, the Speaker, House of Assembly; Member of the House of Representative, Badagry Constituency; the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, House of Assembly lawmakers representing Badagry constituency I and II; amongst others.

However, “we are yet to see any positive result. Since February 2022, running to three years, nothing has been heard from the government on this matter. Hence, we have to cry for justice to the public through the press once again on this same issue,” they stated.

They decried that some other past and present principal officers, senior academic and non-academic staffers of the university, whose issues were treated by the visitation panel have been reabsorbed and reappointed back to the institution without recourse to the visitation panel report or government’s white paper.

“The question to ask again and again is why are the cases of Dr Tony Dansu and other four ASUU officers receiving this unjust treatment from the Lagos State government under Governor Babajide Sanwolu and the university authorities?,” they queried.

They described Dansu as having served the varsity in many capacities, and they expressed that his malicious disengagement with the four others from the university is a disservice to our community, Badagry and Lagos State; and to humanity at large.

In their demands from the state government, they further requested that “all accrued financial entitlements and benefits paid to them; and promotions merited given without loss of seniority and entitlements.”