The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin Chapter, Dr. Usman Adebimpe Raheem, has said that there is no parallel ASUU at the University of Ilorin, pointing out that the interest of just 11 people will not override that of over 1,500 lecturers in the university.

The union leader said this last Tuesday (May 10, 2016) while featuring on "Oro ton lo", a popular Yoruba current affairs programme on Unilorin 89.3FM. According to Dr Raheem, all the stakeholders in the University of Ilorin are strongly behind the union for keeping the vision and mission of the founding fathers aglow.

The ASUU Chairman, therefore, urged the few aggrieved members to join the moving train for the progress, stability and common interest of all members. Dr. Usman outlined the achievements of the union, which include the building of ASUU secretariat, building of blocks of hostels to ease the student accommodation problem on campus, donation to internally displaced persons (IDPs), ensuring the promotion of staff as at when due, staff development awards, consistent and regular inaugural lectures, among others. The union leader, who is a Lecturer in the Department of Geography, explained that effort is in the top gear for the building of over 300 housing units for the members.

Dr. Raheem thanked the management of the University led by Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali for his readiness to assist the members of the union especially in the area of training and retraining of staff, sabbatical leave, and other welfare packages.

Reacting to the proposed N56, 000 minimum wage demanded by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the union leader said that the demand is being made at the right time. He said that the money is not enough in view of the current economic realities in the country, pointing out that the take-home for most of Nigeria workers cannot take them home.

On the issue of 20 years imprisonment for lecturers that harass their students, Dr. Raheem urged the government and other agencies that are involved in the implementation of government policies to be alive to their responsibilities in order to avoid blackmail. He also appealed to lecturers to be God fearing, responsive and alive to their responsibilities as they are surrogate parents to the students they are teaching.