A group has asked the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to reinstate five leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reportedly sacked by the Lagos State University (LASU) in 2017.

The group, under the aegis of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR), described the sack of the union leaders as unjust.

governor had set up a panel to look into the issue between the lecturers and the former management of the institution.

The panel, it was said, recommended the reinstatement of the lecturers in a report submitted to the Sanwo-Olu in 2022, but the sacked ASUU leaders are yet to be recalled.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CDWR Chairperson, Rufus Olusesan, and the Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, accused the governor of acting arbitrarily.

The organisation said it was “shocking” that the university’s Governing Council had refused to implement the recommendations of the panel since 2022.

The group recalled that the Prof Dapo Asaju-led appeal committee was set up by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello and it submitted its report on February 23, 2022.

CDWR said the body was then constituted “sequel to the report of a committee of the council that reviewed the fabricated allegations against them.

“But in a bizarre turn of events, 48 hours after, the same governing council reconvened to put on hold the implementation of its earlier decision, apparently following pressure from the Lagos State government.

“Since then, nothing has been heard about the issue while the sacked lecturers continue to suffer an unjust dismissal,” it stated.

The group said it considered the refusal to recall the sacked workers as a sign of executive lawlessness on the part of the Sanwo-Olu administration, while calling it a betrayal of the promise made by the Governor in November 2021 when he set up a 10-man visitation panel.

Making demands, the CDWR asked for the immediate recall of the sacked union leaders as recommended by the appeal committee.