ASUP Threatens Strike Over Suspension Of Branch's Chief
FROM ABIODUN FAGBEMI, ILORIN
IF by July 2, 2004, the Chairman of the Kwara Polytechnics' chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr. Ola Adefila, is not recalled from the indefinite suspension slammed on him, his colleagues nationwide may proceed on strike.
But before the national body of ASUP declares a nationwide strike on July 12, the South West zonal branch, comprising of 15 institutions, will go on warning strike as from July 5 to 9 to protest Adefila's suspension.
The zonal branch has given a seven-day ultimatum to the Kwara State Polytechnics to rescind its decision on Adele, which will expire on July 2.
Rising from its zonal emergency congress yesterday of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, the National Secretary of the Union, Mr. Bayo Oguntuwase, told reporters that Adefila was suspended over his opposition to alleged incessant termination of appointments of some ASUP members in the school.
Oguntuwase said: "We have fully taken stock of the happenings at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, where injustice has become the order of the day. Therefore, the on-going strike embarked upon by our members at the institution will be sustained indefinitely.
"Therefore, a seven-day ultimatum, which will expire on July 2, has been given that all the staff whose appointments were wrongly terminated should be promptly reinstated."
The ASUP National Scribe added: "If at the end of this notice, nothing is done on our demands, the 15 polytechnics in the south west zone will observe a warning strike between July 5 and 7, before it would finally become a national strike, effective from July 12, this year."
Oguntuwase, who said that for the purpose of an envisaged dialogue between ASUP and the Kwara State government, he had been appointed the "Chief Negotiator" of the union, noted that more of the local leaders of the union at Ilorin would be allowed to enter into any negotiation with the state over the issue.
The management of the institution recently suspended Adefila over an alleged "history of his employment."
The sack had followed his apparent opposition to the termination of the appointment of some members of the local ASUP.
But the Special Assistant (Communication and Strategy) to the state governor, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, denied the alleged victimization of the local ASUP.
Sources told The Guardian that already the authorities have stopped the check-off dues of the union at the polytechnic.
Besides, the constitution of a parallel "ASUP leadership" was said to be in the offing as a ploy to break the unity of the union members at the polytechnic.
