Badagry residents appeal to Sanwo-Olu to reinstate dismissed LASU lecturers

Two months after their original appeal to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reinstate Anthony Dansu and four other Lagos State University (LASU) lecturers who were ‘wrongfully’ dismissed in 2019, some residents of Ikoga Zebbe, a community in Badagry have repeated their prayer to the governor.

The dismissed lecturers were officials of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They are Isaac Akinloye Oyewumi (ASUU chairperson); Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu (Vice Chairman); Anthony Dansu (Secretary); Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan (Assistant Secretary); and Oluwakemi Adebisi Aboderin-Shonibare (Treasurer).

In a statement on Tuesday by the Concerned Sons and Daughters of Ikoga Zebbe, as the residents call themselves, they noted since their peaceful rally of 18 May 2024 that called the attention of the governor to the plight of the lecturers, they have undertaken a series of actions including lobbying, and engagement with stakeholders “to prevail on the government to do what is just, needful, and overdue in respect of the cases” of the lecturers.

“In addition, we have written letters to offices and individuals in their official capacities – the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA); the member of the House of Representatives, Badagry Constituency; the Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Lagos State; the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Right, Public petition and LASIEC; and members of LAHA representing Badagry constituency I and constituency II.

The group said despite its efforts, the state government was yet to recall the lecturers.

“Hence, we have to cry for justice to the public through the press once again on this same issue,” the statement read.

The protest

During the 18 May rally, the residents said they were unhappy about the dismissal and called on Mr Sanwo-Olu to intervene and reinstate Mr Dansu, an indigene of the town, and the other officers.

The residents carried placards with such inscriptions as: “Dear Governor Sanwo-Olu, please correct this injustice. #RestoreDrDansu”, “Reinstate Dr Tony Dansu and others”, “Let justice prevail; Dr Tony Dansu’s integrity and service deserve commendation, not dismissal”, “Dear Governor Sanwo-Olu, reinstate academic freedom”, and “Dear people’s governor, show Lagos is committed to fairness”.

The dismissal

The lecturers were dismissed during the university governing council’s 122nd meeting held on 12 September 2019. They were accused of unauthorised removal, retention and dissemination or publication of official confidential documents and subsequently sacked.

In February 2022, the David Sunmoni-led governing council of the university reinstated the lecturers after an Appeal Committee headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Adenike Boyo, cleared the lecturers of all offences and recommended their reinstatement.

But in a strange move, 48 hours after the governing council approved its appeal committee’s recommendation, the same governing council ruled to put the recall of the lecturers on hold. The state government has yet to reinstate the lecturers more than two years later.

In a statement signed by Mayowa Adejobi, James Avoseh, Ademola Bokoh, Tinka Gabrie, Francis Avoseh, and Medemaku Noah, the protesters alleged that the school’s management fired Mr Dansu and others for exposing some illegal acts.

Before they were dismissed, Messrs Dansu, Oyekan, and Aboderin-Shonibare approached the court to challenge what they termed as the university’s persecution.

“This was based on the premise that they were about to be illegally dismissed in the same manner Drs Oyewumi and Adeyemi-Suenu were dismissed in 2017,” the statement added.

Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae, a judge of the National Industrial Court, Lagos in suit No: NICN/LA/493/2018 on 11 July 2019, ruled that “under the Freedom of Information Act and other relevant laws cited, the university authorities have no such powers to proceed against officers of the union in these cases; that both parties are creations of law, and must therefore respect the law.

“Given that the issue was not due for judicial review since no damage had been done yet; even as the court was mindful of the breach of constitutional rights of the officers by the university authority, the two parties should go and follow the path of the law for the sake of peace, order and good administration in the university and its community.”

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Thus, the residents said the governor, who is also a visitor of the university, should act in the interest of justice and reinstate the lecturers with all their entitlements.

“At this time again, we wish to appeal to Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Executive Governor of the Lagos State, and the visitor of the Lagos State University to cause the reinstatement of Tony Dansu, and the other four officers of ASUU-LASU, by lifting the embargo he placed on the implementation of the decision of the LASU Governing Council on the five union officers on 23 February 2022, to the effect that: 1. the five wrongly dismissed ASUU-LASU officers should be reinstated unconditionally; 2. all accrued financial entitlements and benefits be paid to them; and 3. promotions merited should be given without loss of seniority and entitlements,” the group stated.