By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The leader of the 49 sacked lecturers of University of Ilorin, known popularly as ‘Unilorin 49, Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, has been promoted Professor, 22 years behind schedule.
He was promoted along with two others leaders of the group, namely: 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, strike which the institution barred its staff from participating. Their participation in that infamous strike led to the sack of the 49 Unilorin lecturers in one swoop, culminating in series of court cases that followed.
At the last count, sources told this reporter that not less than three of the 49 had died along the line and their case was mase worse because of the alleged negative involvement of successive Federal Governments, which did not help matter also.
These mostly celebrated trio, particularly Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, said to be the last man standing among the famous ‘Unilorin 49,’ had continued to generate reactions in the academic communities across the country and even beyond.
It was gathered at the University of Ilorin by this reporter that the promotions were the fall-outs of a larger reconciliation moves by the university administration, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Unilorin chapter and the affected academics on how best to sort out the contentious matters after the Supreme Court ruled on their reinstatement. The 49 academics alleged in court to have been unjustly sacked 22 years ago.
The court in 2009 had ordered that all their due entitlements be paid to them and as well be reinstated. Their entitlements were said to include due to them promotions as at the time of their unmerited sack in 2001.
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 Abdulkareem, was credited to have played possitive roles in the matter. He was said to be the one who sent the papers of the victim lecturers 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 hailed the belated promotions, but urged the university authorities to backdate them.
He said, “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.”
