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…threatens to sue ASUU if…

Peter Okutu, Abakaliki

A notable legal practitioner based in Abakiliki, Barr. Iheanacho Agboti, weekend, stated that the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has no right under the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 to sanction management of any University for any supposed infraction.

The Counsel stated this in Abakiliki while briefing journalists on ASUU’S decision to sanction the Management of Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) over the professorship it granted to the present Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Pantami.

He also condemned ASUU for stepping beyond its scope of operation and administration.

Agboti insisted that it’s only the University Governing Council that is bestowed with such power under Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2012 as (Amended) and it’s only admissable by the same Council.

His words: “I’m a lawyer and the truth is that ASUU lacks the power under the Nigerian Trade Union laws to sanction the Management of Federal University of Technology (FUTO) over the supposed illegality.

“ASUU is ignorant of the facts and this is worrisome. There is nowhere under the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 (which is the legislation guiding the operations of all trade Unions in Nigeria, including ASUU), that gives ASUU the power to sanction a University management for a supposed infraction.

“And the law guiding the affairs of all federal universities in Nigeria is the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions)(Amendment) Act 2012.

“Under this law, a University Management can only be sanctioned by its Governing Council not ASUU”, he explained.

Agboti further called on the leadership of ASUU to redress it’s step or face litigation.

ASUU had last Monday described the professorship granted by the institution to the Minister as illegal.

This came with a threat by the Union to sanction its members, including the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and others involved in the conferment of the title to the Minister.

The Counsel who maintained that the Minister committed no wrong by getting a professorship from the University, argued that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu got the same title when he was a Deputy Senate President from an American University.

Vanguard News Nigeria