“If you know the number of lives that was imperiled or put in danger you will feel sorry for this university.” – Unilorin VC narrates experience when he opted out from ASUU

Vice-Chancellor of the University of  Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman AbdulKareem, has said he has no regret allowing the university academic staff to rejoin the main stream Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Speaking on Monday at a press conference on the 36th Convocation of the University, Abdulkareem explained that the consequences of the refusal of the institution’s branch of ASUU to join mainstream ASUU for 19 years (2000 and 2019) were unimaginable.

He added that during those years the university became a pariah in the comity of universities, hinting that a lot of lives were in the process imperiled and put in danger.

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He said that during the period, students that finished from the University of Ilorin were discriminated against by employers while lecturers were not offered places in some institutions for sabbatical leave.

Abdulkareem said,

“I will not regret until I go to my grave making peace among people.”

“Over those 19 years that UNILORIN did not join mainstream ASUU, if you know the number of lives that was imperiled or put in danger you will feel sorry for this university.”

He explained all that he faced as the VC during that period

“I remember when I first became VC, there was an occasion where somebody called me from University of Ibadan and said he was going to be lynched. It got to a point where our students were even being victimised, when they went for either training or industrial attachment. The truth of the matter is that UNILORIN was paying a huge price for not joining ASUU.”

“The first five months of my tenure I saw hell, because ASUU had the power to delay our earned allowance. I was involved in an air storm in aircraft, I almost lost my life twice because I was pursing payment of our earned allowance. Every door I opened in Abuja did not get any support, instead, they were abusing me to go and join ASUU.”

Let me tell you the reality, just two weeks ago, I was informed by National Universities Commission and the unions, that the money I went to defend – over N700 million – was fought for by unions