Authorities of the Kaduna State University (KASU) and the Kwara State University (KWASU) have rejected comments by ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke that some universities which failed to join the ongoing strike are “quacks” and “irrelevant”.

Mr Osodeke, a professor, made the comment Thursday, August 26, during a live interview where maintained that reputable institutions were in on the industrial action called for the revitalisation of the university system.

“So don’t cite those examples. They are irrelevant,” Mr Osodeke told interviewers, pointing out that institutions like KWASU and others are not observing the ASUU strike. 

“Is University of Ibadan on strike? Is UNN on strike? Is ABU on strike? BUK on strike? Is University of Maiduguri on strike? Let us talk about the important universities, not those quacks.” The lecturers’ labour union leader retorted.

But in an angry rebuttal, Adamu Bargo, a spokesman for KASU described Mr Osodeke’s comments as “irresponsible, unguarded, misleading and derogatory”.

Mr Bargo maintained that KASU was a new-generation state-owned university founded 18 years ago on “ethical determination” to sustain higher academic standards of its founding fathers.

“The world number four best polymer chemist is in KASU and our lecturers have attracted grants both locally and internationally and are highly rated. 

“KASU graduates are rated among the best in the world and enjoying scholarships from different parts of the country and the globe,” a part of a statement by Mr Bargo read.

“KASU has members in ASUU, and it is unfortunate if the union’s President is saying that they are quacks, while enjoying monthly check-off fees from their salaries.

“Does this not give good reason for every reasonable academic staff in the University to pull off from the Union for this labeling and stereotyping?”

Similarly, KWASU management took exception to the ASUU president’s comments. A statement by the university spokesperson Saeedat Aliyu on Friday said the institution is founded on the vision of advancing the frontiers of knowledge for the good of society and not a quack.

“KWASU Management considers these statements as undeserving of an academic of Prof. Osodeke’s purported status,” the KWASU spokesperson said.

Ms Aliyu said the labour leader’s statements are “tantamount to bullying, they are reckless, uncalled for and a denigration of the status he occupies as national head of the union of academic staff in Nigeria.”

The image maker extolled the prowess of the Malete based institution, saying “we are the only university in Nigeria going green in her thinking and activities as proactive measures to save the environment.”

She added that KWASU is “the first institution in Nigeria to mount Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering as a forward thinking move to develop human capacity for the nation’s aeronautic and astronautic needs.”

Ms Aliyu therefore demanded for a retraction of what she described as an abominable statement and a published apology to KWASU forthwith from Mr Osodeke.

Most Nigerian public universities have been shut down since February 24 when the national leadership of ASUU called the industrial action over the government’s failure to implement a 2009 agreement it entered into with the union.

An effort to reach a deal broke down last week as the union and government representatives failed to shift grounds on their demands, particularly on payment of salaries for the period the lecturers were on strike.

(NAN)