Emmanuel Osodeke, a Professor of Soil Science, has been re-elected for another three years as the National President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
In 2020, Osodeke who succeeded Biodun Ogunyemi, also a professor, will run the union’s affairs of the union of lecturers of Nigeria’s universities until 2026.
Other members of Mr Osodeke-led National Executive Council (NEC) have also been re-elected for a new tenure of office, exception one officer was dropped.
The union’s Welfare Secretary, Stella-Maris Okey, was not reelected, but was replaced by Aisha Bawa of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Mr Osodeke said the “union would soon issue an official statement.”
The election took place at the weekend during the union’s National Delegates Conference at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State.
Union officers’ re-election
Mr Chris Piwuna, an Associate Professor at the University of Jos, was reelected as the Deputy National President, while Ade Adejumo, a professor at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, was appointed as Financial Secretary; Siji Sowande.
Another professor at the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB) also retained his position as Treasurer. Adamu Babayo, also a professor, was reelected Internal Auditor. The union also reelected Austen Sado as Investment Secretary.
Founded in 1978, ASUU is the largest union of academics in Nigeria famous for its unending industrial dispute with the Nigerian government.
In 2022, Federal Government through Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Productivity, attempted to break the union’s monopoly of influence on labour activities in Nigerian universities with the recognition and registration of two more academic unions — the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA)— “to operate side by side” ASUU on the campuses.
The new unions were registered in October 2022 when ASUU was in the middle of an eight-month strike that stalled activities in all Nigerian public universities.
