Unions protest, want Kogi State VC sacked

Three labour unions in the Kogi State University, Anyigba, under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee, have blamed the poor rating of the university on its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hassan Isah and his management team.

The unions are the National Association of Academic Technologists, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.

During a rally at the palace of the traditional ruler of Anyigba, Alhaji Abu Okolo, the Chairman of JAC, Mr. Moses Babatunde, submitted a protest letter to the monarch for delivery to state Governor, Idris Wada.

They decried what they described as unjust denial of their legitimate entitlements adding, “Over the years, our appeal, struggles and agitation for our rights and entitlements have remained unattended to by both the university’s Governing Council and management. We are therefore forced to forward our case to you as last resort.”

The unions said the situation had led to a serious drop in academic quality at the university. According to them, the institution is placed at 111 out of the 112 universities in the country.

Other contentious issues include minimum wage arrears, tax credit/reduction, laboratory/studio/workshop/clinic hazard allowance, responsibility allowance, excess workload allowance, overtime allowance and pension.

“Out of these grievances, it is only the responsibility allowance that has been partially treated while other universities in the country have since implemented all these allowances for their workers,” Babatunde stated.

The workers, during the protest, were said to have carried placards with various inscriptions, such as “VC, go back to ABU,” “God help us,” “VC, pay us our hazard allowance” and “VC has killed KSUA.”

They claimed that when the late Prof. Francis Idachaba was the KSUA’s VC, it was number one among state universities and number seven among the universities across the country.

While blaming the institution’s Governing Council and the management for the drastic fall in quality of the institution, they said poor welfare of teachers and gross mismanagement had led to brain drain in KSUA.

The unions also demanded the implementation of the 2009 agreement reached between them and the government, threatening to embark on strike from October 1 if the agreement were not carried out.

Responding, the monarch commended the unions for the peaceful manner with which they organised themselves.

He said, “I will humbly and sincerely give the letter to the governor. I have the confidence that he will address the boiling issues. Any damage to the university will affect the future of our children. So we must join hands to restore the integrity of KSU. I want to thank you for the respect you accorded the traditional authority. It shows you are a responsible union with respect for constituted authority.

“KSU is for all of us. The institution is more than any individual is. That is why the progress of the university is a collective responsibility.”

He urged the unions to shelve the planned strike, pleading for more time to allow him to deliver the letter to the governor.

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