By John Ikani
Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has emerged as the new president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU.
He was elected early Sunday morning during a three-day conference of the union which held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
Until his election as ASUU president, Osodeke was The immediate past vice-president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Osodeke, a professor of soil science at the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State of takes over from from Biodun Ogunyemi, a professor of education at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
Other members of the union, who were elected alongside Mr Osodeke, include Chris Piwuna of the University of Jos as vice president; Olusiji Sowande of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, as treasurer while Ade Adejumo, a professor from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, was elected as financial secretary.
Also, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Austen Sado, was elected as investment secretary; Adamu Babayo from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, was elected the union’s internal auditor while Stella-Maris Oke from Cross Rivers State University of Science and Technology, was elected as the new welfare secretary.
What’s next for Biodun Ogunyemi?
Mr Ogunyemi will continue to serve in the new executive committee as an ex-officio, apparently to guide the new leadership.
The Former president in a phone interview with Premium Times said he will return to classroom.
According to him: “Sure, I’m returning to the classroom to continue to do our own bit towards the development of this nation.”
About ASUU
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a Nigerian union of university academic staff, founded in 1978.
The Union has on several occasions embarked on industrial action with claims that it is involved in a struggle for Nigerian tertiary education and Nigerian students by extension.
However, many Nigerians perceive the supposed struggle to be malicious and self serving.