The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members nationwide to boycott all academic and allied activities at the University of Ilorin.This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of its Awka National Executive Council meeting, a copy of the sanctions which was made available to newsmen in Ibadan by the Chairman University of Ibadan Chapter of the union, Dr Deji Omole.ASUU wielded the big stick following what it called University of Ilorin administration persistent acts of lawless, arbitrariness, violation of human and trade union rights and persecution of loyal members.Also, University of Ilorin academic staff will also not be allowed to carry out any academic activity on any public universities in Nigeria.ASUU noted that despite efforts at resolving the crisis in the institution, the university management and its sponsored groups were fuelling the crisis while alleging that it forcefully deduct check-off dues without remitting it to the national body.ASUU NEC resolved to impose sanctions on the groups and university administration, noting that for the duration of the sanctions, academic Staff of the University of Ilorin would no longer enjoy the cooperation, collaboration or participation of academics of other Nigerian public Universities, in the following areas of academic and related activities at all levels.These included teaching, research and supervision of students; setting, moderation or assessment of examinations; external assessment for professorial for professorial cadre appointments or promotions; sabbatical, visiting, part-time and adjunct appointments, accreditation of institutions, colleges and programmes and courses, collaborative research, peer review of journal articles and patronage of journals; attendance of conferences, workshops, seminars and other related activities;Omole further hinted that the union had also directed members to boycott all UniIlorin based journals, quarterly and newsletters, while articles from academic staff of the University of Ilorin shall not be accepted by journals for peer review and or publication in other Nigerian Universities.Despite all intervention efforts by the Academic Staff Union of Universities since 2001, the University of Ilorin administration has persisted in acts of lawlessness, arbitrariness, violation of human and trade union rights, and persecution of loyal members.Contrary to the law and despite the ruling of the National Industrial Court, the University has continued to prevent the Union from functioning on its campus. The University has also continued to forcefully collect check-off money from academics of the university in the name of the Union without remitting it to the Union. The Union is therefore bound to protect the principles of democracy and the exercise of freedom in the academia, and also insist on the right to function through its own accredited representatives on Nigerian University campuses, he added.According to him, NEC at its meeting at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, recognized distinct groups that have emerged in creating and prolonging the crisis at the University of Ilorin.He said these include the following: principal officers of University of Ilorin, administration members of previous University of Ilorin, administration who were and are still active in generating and sustaining the crisis and members of the illegal excos from 2001 to 2014; Others were members of the current illegal exco; and other academics of the University of Ilorin who are aiding and abetting the crisis and illegality.For the avoidance of doubt, academic staff of the University of Ilorin should not participate in any of the above listed academic activities in other Nigerian public Universities.Similarly, academic staff of other Nigerian public Universities shall not participate in any of the listed activities in the University of Ilorin.These sanctions shall be complied with by all members of the Union, including those who may be serving in private Universities during the period of the sanctions,Omole said.
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