By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, head of the 49 sacked University of Ilorin lecturers known as ‘Unilorin 49’ has been promoted Professor 22 years behind schedule.
He was promoted along with two others – Dr. Femi Dunmade of the same English Department with Oloruntoba-Oju and Dr. K. Adeniji of the Pathology Department of the University.
They are the last three of the living members of the ‘Unilorin 49’; a product of the nation-wide Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, who defied the institution’s ban of its staff from participating in the strike. The development led to the sack of the lectures in one sweep and series of court cases.
The delay in promoting the celebrated trio, particularly Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju had continued to generate reactions in the academic communities across the country and even beyond.
It was gathered at the University of Ilorin that the promotions were the fall-outs of a larger reconciliation moves by the University administration, ASUU and the affected academics on how best to sort out the contentious matters after the Supreme Court ruled on the reinstatement of the 49 academics alleged to have been unjustly sacked 22 years ago.
The court in 2009 had ordered that all their due entitlements be paid to them and be as well reinstated.
Findings revealed that over the years, the school administration had stonewalled on mostly the promotion aspects of the entitlements, citing unspecified ‘clauses’ in the university Act.
However, ASUU and the University Governing Council committee set up for the reconciliation eventually persuaded the trio to apply first and allow the Council to sort out the related issues after the exercise.
The immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulraheem was credited to have played positive roles in the matter. He was said to be the one who sent the lecturers’ papers out for external assessment, while the current helmsman, Prof. Wahab Egbewole announced the results.
Meanwhile, counsel to the sacked and reinstated lecturers, Rev John Baiyeshea, SAN, while speaking with newsmen hailed the belated promotions but urged the University authorities to backdate them.
His words: “I feel very happy. We have been on this issue/struggle for about 22 years. The issue of promotion has been a contentious one.
“But the current one is so outstanding because the person who spearheaded the struggle of UNILORIN ASUU since 2001 till date at the university and who had positively impacted the entire university system in Nigeria is Dr. Oloruntoba-Oju. He had been qualified to be a professor at the University of Ilorin since 24 years ago.
“The promotion ought to be backdated. It is an issue I believe that the University authorities and Prof Oloruntoba-Oju and others are going to be working on.”