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The committee, headed by the national Vice President of ASUU, Prof. V. E. Osodeke, also faulted the suspension of the “an already concluded process for the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor” of the University.
The committee said this in its report presented at the ASUU NEC meeting held at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
The document titled, ‘Report of ASUU visitation Committee to OAU, Ile-Ife’, read in part: “From our findings, the Governing Council followed due process of selection of the VC to its conclusion. The committee recommends that the action of the visitor in dissolving the council be condemned for violating the ASUU-FG agreement.”
The committee which has eight members, including two zonal coordinators and three immediate past zonal coordinators, was set up in the wake of the crisis that rocked the OAU branch of the union and the university following the appointment of a new VC.
It will be recalled that the Non-Academic Staff of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and some academic staff of OAU had expressed displeasure with the process that produced Prof. Ayobami Salami as the 11th VC of the institution.
Subsequently, NASU and SSANU took the matter to the High Court at Osogbo, Osun State, and thereafter embarked on a strike, which led to the closure of the university for several weeks.
In a bid to resolve the matter, President Buhari on July 1 announced the dissolution of the Governing Council of the University.
The President also ordered that the process for the appointment of a new VC to replace Prof. Bamitale Omole be suspended “pending the outcome of the subsisting court case”.
In August, following the instruction of the Visitor, the Senate of the varsity met and appointed Prof. Anthony Elujoba as VC in acting capacity.
Last Monday,the High Court at Osogbo struck out the case filed by NASU and SSANU challenging the appointment of Prof. Salami as the validly appointed VC of the university.
In his verdict, Justice M. A. Onyetenu stated that the court did not have jurisdiction to entertain the case. He asked the appellants to take the case to the Industrial Court at Ibadan, Oyo State.