by Akintomiwa Agbaje

The crisis between the leadership of the University of Lagos and a faction of the union has deepened with the disputing factions slinging accusation, allegations, profane words at each other.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities started discussions on Monday with The University of  Lagos to find a resting point for the five month old strike.

Crisis started when the institution’s Faculty of Arts, Dr. Adeyemi Daramola and Dr. Michael Ogbeide, of the Department of English and and  History respectively, walked out of the meeting and called a press conference insisting that lecturers were tired of ASUU’s leadership style of not taking into consideration members’ positions on the five-month-old strike.

Leadership reports:

 The lecturers had alleged that the national secretariat of ASUU had concluded plans to postpone the resumption of the union to January, 2014 as against members’ position nationwide which they claimed directed the NEC to consider President Goodluck Jonathan’s new offer. They therefore insisted that if the strike is not called off this week, the university would be forced to back out.

 However, the Chairman of the chapter, Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, who had on Monday refused to comment on the matter, yesterday issued a press statement and accused the duo of Daramola and Ogbeidi of being “misguided, disgruntled and paid Judases. They were hell bent to deliver on the mission of betrayal for which they have been paid.”

 “At the Congress Meeting of November 25, 2013 that also had the Ibadan Zone’s leadership -Congress overwhelmingly reaffirmed its commitment and unalloyed support to the leadership of ASUU in its effort to resolve the remaining grey areas in its discussion with the Federal Government of Nigeria.