ASUU DRAGS EKITI GOVT TO COURT OVER REMOVAL OF UNAD VC

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
ADO-EKITI - The  Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Ado Ekiti chapter, has dragged the state government to court over the removal of the former Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Dipo Kolawole.

Though, the Chairman of the UNAD ASUU, Dr Ayan Adeleke, said the union decided to challenge the removal of Kolawole by the state government so as to restore sanity and orderliness in the system, argued that the union was not against the decision of the state government to remove Kolawole.

According to him, 'ASUU is not satisfied with the process in which the former V C was removed.'

The ASUU Chairman pointed out that the union was left with no option than to take a legal action against the state government, 'since it is the most civilized ways of setling dispute in legal context.'

He noted that the removal of the former VC was not the issue in contention but the process of removal, which he said the Union was presently contesting at the State High Court in Ado Ekiti.

Dr. Adeleke disclosed that the 'hearing of the case is slated for June 14, 2011. The removal of Prof Dipo Kolawole is not our business, but the process of that removal is what we are challenging in Court.

The Governor reserved the right to appoint whoever he likes as the VC, but in removing a substantive VC, there are laid down rules, which we thought the government breached and this we are challenging to restore sanity, orderliness into the process.'

He explained that the litigation was targeted at smoothing rough edges and perceived mistakes in the removal of the former VC.

It will be recalled that the state government had few weeks ago removed all the three vice chancellors of the state-owned universities, while Prof  Dada Adelowo of the Department of Comparative Religious Studies and the most Senior Professor in  UNAD had since  been asked to act.