The Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU], Adekunle Ajasin University (AAU) Akungba-Akoko and the Police in Ondo state are at loggerheads over a protest scheduled to hold tomorrow in Akungba by the University lecturers over the ongoing ASUU strike.
DailyPost learnt that a detachment of anti-riot policemen had been drafted to strategic points in the town and the main gate of the University to disrupt the protest.
Besides, an Armoured Personnel Carriers [APC] has been reportedly stationed at the AAU gate to ensure that the rally does not hold as scheduled.
But ASUU Chairman, Mr Busuyi Mekusi has declared that the protest rally must hold despite the invasion of the University community by the police.
He stressed that they had on October 14, wrote a letter to the Police Commissioner, informing him of the planned protest ,but got no response.
Police Spokesman,Wole Ogodo said the rally was illegal, stressing that the development could lead to breakdown of law and order.
A statement issued in Akure,the state capital by counsel to the ASUU, Titiloye Charles, condemned the ”undemocratic” use of Police Force by the Federal Government to restrict and prevent street rallies organised by the Union to sensitize Nigerians on the need to support the struggle in order to revamp public Universities in Nigeria.
He noted that While Federal Government actively provided security protection for Anti-ASUU protesters nationwide, it had given instruction to Police formation nationwide to stop ASUU from holding public rallies.
Titiloye noted with great concern the threat issued by Divisional Police officer of Nigerian Police Force, Akungba Akoko to use force to deal decisively with ASUU members if they hold any rally within or outside the University campus today.
He observed that ASUU’s letter to the Commissioner of Police was not to obtain permission from the Police for the Union to exercise their fundamental human rights to associate and assemble, but to ask the Police to provide its members the needed Security during the protest.
The Lawyer said the CP was yet to reply the letter, and the DPO of Akungba was threatening fire and brimstone should ASUU hold its rally on Thursday.
The Activist noted that even in the tyrannical days of Military regime in Nigeria, such threat of police violence was not issued against ASUU members.
The Union called on President Jonathan to allow it mobilize Nigerians and create a space for public debate on its demand, and not to create the impression that Nigerians are against ASUU.
