Written by Clement Idoko and Moyosore
Solarin
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
THE Academic Staff Union of Nigerian
Universities (ASUU) is planning to end the
ongoing five-month strike mid-January next
year, a faction of the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) chapter alleged on Monday.
The faction, however, insisted that the
closure of Nigerian universities by the
lecturers must end this week.
Leader of the faction, Dr Adeyemi Daramola,
a lecturer in the Department of English,
Faculty of Arts accused the body of assuming
oracular posture on the strike.
According to him, "The position of ASUU has
not demonstrated original function of its
rules which says "reports on agreement from
the union universities' branches should be
collated and announced".
"ASUU-NEC has assumed an oracular posture
by its very poor communication to members,
government and the Nigerian society.
"The target of ASUU is to call off the strike by
mid-January of 2014 which is no longer a
rumour in the domain of its members. We
have postponed other meetings of this
pressure version of UNILAG
ASUU to discuss issues and shall call a new
one if ASUU-NEC fails to suspend the strike
before the end off the week.
"If necessary, we shall take all legitimate
steps to ensure that normalcy is restored to
all the Nigerian universities as soon as
possible, as the group would not accept the
rumour of a resumption date fixed for
January, 2014. About two universities'
academic calendar have been wasted on
strike, including lecturers' four months
salaries lost."
Controversies have continued to trail the
participation of UNILAG's chapter of the
union, with the new faction allegedly
creating uproar at the congress held in the
institution yesterday.
Another leader of the anti-strike faction, Dr
Michael Ogbeide of the History Department
told the Nigerian Tribune on phone that "the
ASUU strike had become nonsense and must
be stopped. A lot of our members also
believe so but are afraid to speak out."
He assured that the faction would keep
pressurising the leadership until the strike is
called off.
When asked the next line of action if
UNILAG ASUU leadership did not accede to
the faction's request, he said "as an
historian, in war, you don't divulge your
strategy before hand."
Early on Monday morning, there were
rumours that the Unilag ASUU had decided to
withdraw from the strike, but this was
debunked by some members of the union,
though it was confirmed that there was a
split among the members, with Daramola's
faction reportedly kicking against the
institution's continued participation in the
strike.
According to a source who pleaded
anonymity, the congress actually turned out
disorganised and divided, as some members,
during the meeting began to protest,
demanding UNILAG's withdrawal from the
strike.
It was learnt that after the meeting became
rowdy, the two factions later held separate
meetings, with both reportedly resolving to
maintain their postures.
The main body insisted that the strike would
be on until grey areas are sorted out.
Minister condemns ASUU's conditions for
suspension of strike
The Supervising Minister of Education,
Nyesom Wike has condemned the new
conditions set out by the leadership of ASUU
as a yardstick to call off its over four month
old strike.
The minister, who said he was going to meet
with President Goodluck Jonathan on the
development, said the union wants
immediate implementation of the N1.2
trillion offered by the government to public
universities, starting with the release of N100
billion this year and the balance of N1.1
trillion to be spread over five years from
2014.
Wike, who spoke in Abuja on Monday added,
that the Union though indicated readiness to
call off the over-prolonged industrial action.
He stressed that the Federal Government and
members of the National Assembly would
engage the union further on its decision.
According to him, "ASUU has given new
conditions, after they had an agreement with
President Goodluck Jonathan at the Villa.
"He said, he would meet with the President
on the new conditions by ASUU. Among the
three conditions given by ASUU in order to
end the strike were payment of four months
salary arrears which accumulated during the
period of the strike; immediate
implementation of the N1.2 trillion offered
by the government to public universities,
starting with the release of N100bn this year
and the balance of N1.1tn to be spread over
five years from 2014".
The union also demanded that the salary
arrears must not be paid piecemeal. These
were some of the resolutions reached by
members of the National Executive Council
of the union that met in Kano on Friday
which has been sent to the Federal
Government before they will call off the
strike.
Reports indicated that the university
lecturers in Nigeria have agreed to end the
five-month old strike by ASUU. If the Federal
Government agrees to three conditions.
EBSU dares ASUU, resumes tomorrow
The management of Ebonyi State University,
Abakaliki (EBSU) on Monday announced
that academic activities would resume in all
the campuses of the institution today.
It also ordered lecturers and students of the
institution to return to classes following the
inability of ASUU to end its over four-month
strike in the country.
In a statement signed by the Registrar of the
institution, Mr Sam N. Egwu, it stressed that
the institution had resolved to commence
academic activities, not minding the
disagreement existing between ASUU and the
Federal Government.
"Having waited patiently for Federal
Government and ASUU to resolve the
impasse behind the over four-month strike
embarked upon by the union to no avail, the
management of EBSU has resolved to re-
open classes for learning to commence on
Tuesday, the 26th day of November, 2013.
"We therefore inform all concerned that
teaching and learning will begin fully on
Tuesday, 26th, November, 2013. This is to
enable us to cover what we have lost to the
strike," the statement read.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the resolution
was the outcome of the meeting held last
week by the management of the institution,
including lecturers where 80 per cent of the
lecturers in attendance agreed that they
should ignore the ASUU nationwide strike
and return to class.
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