The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan chapter, has trained 389 newly recruited lecturers on union ideals, ethics, and professional responsibilities.
The Chairperson of ASUU at the institution, Dr Adefemi Afolabi, disclosed this during an orientation programme for new academic staff held in Ibadan.
Afolabi described the recent recruitment as a welcome development but noted that it remained inadequate to address the shortage of lecturers in public universities.
He explained that the training exposed participants to the ethics, responsibilities, and expectations of academic staff, including their core duties of teaching, research, and community service.
The ASUU chairperson warned lecturers against misconduct, particularly examination malpractice and sexual harassment, stressing that the union would not shield erring members.
According to him, any member found culpable would face the union’s ethics committee, while the university authorities could apply appropriate sanctions, including dismissal.
Afolabi also urged the Federal Government to ensure the timely replacement of retired or deceased academic staff and to fully implement all outstanding agreements with the union.
In his remarks, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Ibadan Zone, Dr Biodun Olaniran, described the workshop as an ideological reorientation programme designed to prepare lecturers for their roles as public intellectuals.
Olaniran expressed concern over challenges facing Nigeria’s university system, including underfunding, proliferation of institutions, casualisation of academic work, and inadequate government attention to education.
He urged the new lecturers to regard teaching as a sacred responsibility and research as a tool for societal development, assuring them of the union’s continued support in protecting their welfare.
Other speakers at the orientation included former ASUU Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Dr Odutola Odukoya, alongside Prof. Dapo Adewole and other academics, who delivered lectures on academic culture, welfare, and union functions.
The orientation programme featured sessions on ethics, welfare, organisational structure, and professional conduct for newly employed lecturers.
