Workers of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, under the aegis of the Non-Academic Staff Union, have withdrawn their membership of the union, following the dissolution of their executives by the national headquarters of NASU.
NASU national headquarters had, in a letter dated June 21, 2016, dissolved the executive of its OAU branch for embarking on a protest against the appointment of a new vice chancellor for the institution.
NASU National General Secretary, Mr. Peters Adeyemi, had accused the OAU workers of referring to themselves as “Integrity Workers Union” during their continuous protests on the university campus.
In the letter with reference number NASU/ UV/5/Vol. XVII/102 and signed by Adeyemi, executives of the OAU branch were accused of disobedience to the constitution of the union, resulting in their sack.
The dissolution letter further directed the union executives at OAU to hand-over all NASU properties in their care.
But in an attempt to take over assets in the custody of the dissolved executives of OAU NASU, national officials of the body were last Friday evening physically beaten by irate workers of the institution, who also seized the union vehicle which brought them to the university campus.
The visibly angry workers tongue-lashed the national officials for dissolving their executives, threatening that they would terminate their membership of NASU if the dissolution was not reversed.
In an exclusive telephone chat with our correspondent, the embattled Chairman of OAU NASU, Mr. Oluwole Odewunmi, confirmed that members of the union have dumped NASU.
Maintaining that the dissolution of branch leadership was uncalled for, Odewunmi noted that the actions of the national executives in the past had shown that the body no longer wanted its OAU branch.
He noted that the branch could survive without its headquarters.
Odewunmi said, “They (National headquarters of NASU) don’t need us anymore. Ever since we have been in the union, it is not as if they have done any good thing for us in our branch. So, we will survive without them. With God, all things are possible.”
When asked if they had a new union since they had decided to quit NASU, Odewunmi said, “We have not formed a new name yet. We will do that if that is what will solve this problem.
“This problem we are facing is not peculiar to OAU branch, other universities that have NASU also experience it. We can survive on our own.”
Meanwhile, workers of the university have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for directing the Senate of the institution to immediately recommend a qualified person for appointment as acting vice chancellor.
