By Eunice Orike
Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, ASURI, has declared a formal trade dispute with the Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, ASCON, Dr. Funke Adepoju, over alleged misconduct, illegal actions, and incompetence in the management of the institution.
The union accuses the ASCON Director-General of violating statutory provisions, intimidating academic staff, and taking actions that undermine the legal and academic framework of the college.
A letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters, conveyed ASURI’s concerns, over what it describes as persistent abuse of office and disregard for established laws governing the institution.
ASURI alleges that on January 12, 2026, Dr. Adepoju arrives at the ASCON premises with armed and fully motorised military personnel and compels 18 Academic Directors and Deputy Directors to collect termination letters.
The union says the affected officers are retired on the grounds of age and years of service.
The union insists that the action violates the ASCON Establishment Act, the Public Service Rules, and the approved Conditions of Service for academic staff in research and tertiary institutions.
According to ASURI, existing government directives clearly state that academic staff of ASCON retire at 65 years, not 60.
Beyond the terminations, ASURI accuses the Director-General of sustained intimidation of staff, absentee leadership, and questionable financial practices.
It warns that her continued stay in office poses a threat to the integrity of ASCON and risks embarrassing the Federal Government at the international level.
Speaking on the development, ASURI Secretary-General, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, says the union is mobilising its members across research and allied institutions nationwide to resist what he describes as a dangerous precedent.
He warns that allowing the action to stand could open the door to the casualisation and humiliation of academic staff across Nigeria’s research sector.
ASURI demands the immediate reversal of the termination of the affected academic staff and the removal of Dr. Adepoju as Director-General of ASCON.
The union warns that failure to meet these demands will trigger a nationwide strike and coordinated picketing across research and allied institutions.
ASCON, established in 1972, is Nigeria’s foremost management development and executive training institution, with global partnerships and a mandate comparable to university-level academic and research institutions.
ASURI argues that actions which undermine the statutory framework of ASCON reflect a broader neglect of research and development institutions.
The union links this neglect to Nigeria’s rising insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and weak industrial capacity.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government has yet to issue an official response to the union’s declaration of a trade dispute.
