Donald Iorchir
Vice-chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. James Adelabu, has said that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, are liars.
He stated this while speaking to newsmen in his Giri residence, Gwagwalada area council.
Adelabu, who debunked the allegation by the ASUU that he had stopped their check-up dues meant for the union, in April, this year, so that he could take it away at the end of his tenure, said ASUU had not been sincere with their statements.
He maintained that there was a pronouncement by the government that the university administration was not supposed to help ASUU to get their check-up dues, adding that all other unions should be put on notice that it was not the responsibility of the university administration to deduct their check-up dues.
He said: “When you talk of union, you must be an academic before the union and being in the union does not mean that you are not an academic; so ASUU should remember that you must be an academic before you can be in a union.”
He said he had no powers to deduct the staff salaries, because he could be charged to court for doing that.
Adelabu challenged ASUU to come with facts backing the allegation which he described as “spurious.”
On the issue of threat by ASUU to go on strike, Adelabu said he was not aware of that “because the university does not owe them anything.”
He prayed for God’s guidance for everyone in the university and called on stakeholders to join in the task of repositioning the university to enable it to live up to expectations.