The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has broken silence on the Union’s decision to dissociate itself from the crowdfunding attempt by an Abuja-based radio host, Ahmed Isah, popularly known as ‘Ordinary President’.
CAMPUS GIST had reported how the university lecturers rejected N18 billion crowdfunding campaign organized by Isah. Following the rejection, the campaign was suspended immediately.
Speaking on Channels Television, Friday, on a programme monitored closely by CAMPUS GIST, President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said the Union wasn’t consulted.
Osodeke said, “We (ASUU) have no problem with his (Isah) integrity in whatever he is doing. He has a right to do it, what we are saying is he should not bring ASUU in without our permission.
“Like I said there, any organization or person has a right to set up their foundation that you can use to do whatever you want in the name of your organization but not in the name of ASUU. That is the only problem we have with him.”
Prof Osodoke added that he did not believe it was right for anyone to make a huge cash donation in the name of ASUU, given the current economic climate in Nigeria.
He said this in reference to the N50 million cash donation made by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, as part of the fundraiser which was displayed by Isah during one his radio programmes.
“We don’t have a problem with the intention, the problem we have is putting us in without our permission, and using our name. Is it right for someone to bring N50 million in cash in Nigeria and put on the floor? It’s not right and that’s why we dissociated ourselves from it completely,” Osodoke said.
The ASUU President added that if Isah had asked for ASUU’s permission beforehand, they would have had discussions on how to best proceed with the fundraising attempt.
“If he had asked for permission beforehand, we would have discussed it at our meeting and then taken a decision,” he said.
