… Teaching Union Claims It Has New Model To Check Corruption
While the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) University of Lagos Branch, yesterday, endorsed the appointment of Professor Theophilus Soyombo as the varsity’s Acting Vice-chancellor, the Academic Staff Union of Universities have collectively condemned the appointment, describing the former VC’s removal as illegal.
The ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said: “ASUU received the news of the purported removal of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Oluwatoyin Ogundipe by the Governing Council chaired by Dr. Wale Babalakin with absolute shock and total disappointment.
“In spite of Dr. Babalakin’s spirited effort to defend the indefensible, it is now clear to all and sundry that there is more to the story coming from the senior member of the bar.
“Babalakin should be reminded that the knowledge of procedures and processes for appointments and removal of vice-chancellors is not the exclusive preserve of legal luminaries because the sources are out there in the public space.”
The Union argued that the former VC, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe’s removal did not follow due process.
However, the NASU (UNILAG Branch), in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr. Kehinde Ajibade said that they are in support of the appointment of Soyombo as the Acting Vice-Chancellor.
The statement reads: “The union and branch chairmen hereby clearly dissociate themselves from the previous action. As a responsive and responsible union largely known for putting the interest of her members first, NASU UNILAG and NASU College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi Araba, will continue to frown at any act capable of jeopardising the common interest of all members and stakeholders.
“On his note, the union, hereby, wishes the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Theophilus Omololu Soyombo a smooth sail in office. We want to appeal to all NASU members to remain calm and resolute.”
Recall that NASU and other unions had held a joint Congress and condemned the removal of Ogundipe last Wednesday at its sitting in Abuja.
Reacting to NASU’s position, the UNILAG chairman of ASUU, Dr. Ashiru said the union was free to do so.
Ashiru said: “We were all here and they were not forced to be part of the Congress, and to make the resolution and even be part of the solidarity rally. It is not their ghosts that took part in those things. The whole world can see and with all these actions, we are making history. Posterity will judge every one of us.”
He, however, noted that ASUU, members of the Senate of the institution, among others, were resolute in their earlier demands.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria (CVCUN) has insisted that it would not recognise Soyombo as the acting vice-chancellor.67mm is removed, one of the deputies should be appointed to act.
They “This is going to pose another problem, senate members will not allow such a person to chair their meeting because they don’t know him within the context of laws establishing universities,” CVCUN had .
‘ASUU Claims It Has New Model To Check Internal Corruption ‘
Recall that earlier this week, Babalakin cited that Professor Ogundipe mismanaged Public funds, with his status as VC.
The ASUU has said that it is championing autonomy for Nigerian varsities.
“As we speak, university autonomy and academic freedom is one of the key items listed for renegotiation in 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, which Dr. Wale Babalakin-led team has unduly dragged for three-and-half years without any concrete results .
Ogunyemi noted that the union had developed a prototype of the IPPIS, called University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which it urged the government to implement rather than the IPPIS.
“Following our engagements with the Federal Government over the issues that eventually led to the declaration of the ongoing strike action on 17th March, 2020, government declared that it “accepts in principle the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which is being developed by ASUU and its researchers for the financial administration of the University’s FG’s staff monthly payroll and accounting processes.
“In addition, the Federal Government pledged, “When fully developed, UTAS will be subjected to various integrity tests to verify its efficacy to see whether this final product will pass the necessary technical attribute test as specified by NITDA.”
HD said that it is confident in the tech sector.
“On our part, ASUU had given a timeframe of 18 months to government to develop, test and deploy UTAS. In keeping with this promise, ASUU is pleased to announce that UTAS is now ready for the “integrity tests” required of it by government. Indeed, the software was unveiled by way of demonstration to the Minister and Senior Management Staff of the Ministry of Education, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Monday, 17th August 2020.
“Wevmust, however, emphasize that UTAS is far more than just an alternative to IPPIS, which does not respect the nature, structure and character of the Nigerian University System. It was ill advised, ab initio, to have deployed IPPIS in the universities.
“All the distortions and disruptions being reported within the university payrolls of federal universities in the last six months or so, even by those who initially welcomed IPPIS with open arms, were predicted by ASUU. Unlike IPPIS, however, the UTAS is a web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application deployed for the overall management of university resources in an efficient, transparent and accountable manner. “
