Abuja, Minna – The strike called by the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday paralyzed activities in most of
the 88 federal and state owned universities in the country... ASUU commenced an indefinite nationwide strike due to Federal Government’s failure to fulfill the 2009 agreement made with it.
Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, said on Monday in Abuja that the decision to embark on the industrial action was resolved at its emergency National Executive Council meeting held on August 12.
According to him, during the strike, “There shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of our branches till government meets the union’s demands”.
The industrial action actually took effect from August 13.
Unical Students Disappointed, Call For Dialogue
In University of Calabar, most students were unaware of the strike.
Most of them were seen on campus loitering helplessly.
Some of the students described the strike action by their lecturers as “sad” and “disappointing.”
The students said in separate interviews that they hope the union and the Federal Government would settle their differences soon.
Henrietta Udom, a 200 level student, said she was sad about the situation.
“We are already preparing for our second semester examination before this sudden stop in academic activities, and now nobody knows when the strike will be called off, it’s unfortunate,” she said.
Another student, Michael Bassey, a final year student, feared that the strike might prolong his graduation.
“ASUU should always take students’ plights into consideration and consult widely before embarking on strike.
“Government on the one hand, should know that frequent strike does not augur well for the country’s education sector.
“May be because many of them have their children overseas, they do not consider some of us here in Nigeria,” he lamented.
UI ASUU Stops Examination
The strike paralyzed activities at the University of Ibadan including the ongoing Master examinations.
Students in the department of Psychology, who were scheduled to start their examinations, were turned back due to the strike while also the examinations slated for writing at the Faculty of Social Sciences were canceled.
Although it was gathered that the institution’s academic staff had voted in favor of the strike at its referendum last week, news about the strike was passed to members Monday morning.
To this end, academic staff of the institution were seen discussing whether the information heard about the strike was true or not but as at noon, most academic activities came to a halt.
In a mail sent to Professor Idowu Olayinka, Vice Chancellor, UI, Deji Omole, Chairman of ASUU, stated that following the abysmal level of implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement, 2013 MoU and the shortfall in salaries leading to fractional payment of staff salaries, the strike was total, comprehensive and indefinite beginning from Sunday 13, August, 2017.
“We, therefore, write to inform you that the observance of the strike action will include: no teaching, no examination, no supervision, no attendance of the statutory meetings of any kind and other academic matters. In line with the national directive of the union, our members will henceforth withdraw their services till the end of the strike”.
FUT, Minna Joins In Nationwide Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State branch, on Monday set up a 14-man committee to monitor the compliance of members to the national strike.
INDEPENDENT learnt that all lecturers were asked to stay off their lecture theaters for the duration of the strike pending further directives from the national body of the union as confirmed by the FUT chapter of ASUU chairman, Dr. Attaihiru Ndanisa.
“The FUT, Minna branch had joined the strike and we have total compliance”, the ASUU chairman said.
Students who reported for lectures on Monday, according to investigations, were left dejected because the lecturers could not attend to them while tests scheduled before the semester examination expected to start last Monday was also put off.
It was, however, not possible to confirm the level of compliance by lecturers from the state owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, as at the time of filing in this report.
LASU Lecturers To Comply With ASUU Strike — Chairman
ASUU, Lagos State University (LASU) chapter, had yet to fully comply with the indefinite strike, following a check Monday evening.
Dr. Isaac Oyewunmi, ASUU LASU Chairman, said in Lagos in the early evening that the chapter received the information on the strike rather late.
Oyewunmi said the executive members of the chapter would meet later on Monday, while a congress would be summoned for Wednesday, to officially declare the strike in the university.
“The strike has begun as directed by the ASUU national body because it is not optional, but we just want to tidy up one or two things before complying fully.
“Be assured that by Wednesday after our congress, the chapter will comply 100 percent as directed and it will be total, comprehensive and indefinite,’’ he said.
ASUU Vows To Sanction Erring Institution
Meanwhile, ASUU leadership has insisted that the strike was total, comprehensive and indefinite and has also threatened to sanction any defaulting institution which hold lectures, examination or any nocturnal meetings while the strike lasts.
Biodun Ogunyemi said the action became necessary owing to breach of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement on financing of state universities; breach of the conditions of service; refusing to honor the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and re-negotiation of the agreement.
Ogunyemi, while addressing a press conference on Monday, said the 2009 agreement revolved around conditions of service, funding, university autonomy and academic freedom all of which government has been lackadaisical in implementing.
The Federal Government is believed to owe universities over N880 billion in intervention fund as a fallout of the NEEDS Assessment report.
Also on the list of the union’s demands are: foot-dragging over ‘funds for the revitalization of public universities, non-release of NUPEMCO operational license, non-payment of earned academic allowances, payment of fractions/non-payment of salaries, retired professors and their salaries and university staff schools.
In the 2013, in the Mo U entered with ASUU, the Federal Government agreed to make funds available for the revitalization of the university system, amounting to N1.3 trillion in six years, based on yearly release of N220 billion, starting with N200 billion in 2013.
There was also an agreement to open a dedicated revitalization account with the CBN to warehouse the fund, including setting up a central monitoring committee to monitor the implementation of the revitalization of the universities.
ASUU also accused government of reneging on payment of outstanding balance of the Earned Academic Allowances after verification of the payment made from the initial N30 billion, among others.
It would be recalled that at a recent public function, Abdulrasheed Abubakar, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), met with bursars of universities across the country, and stated categorically that university administrators should jettison clamor for full autonomy as the Federal Government would never concede to such demand.
He explained that in view of the fact that public universities rely on government for subventions to operate, granting them autonomy would be tantamount to throwing away its regulatory rights, especially checking financial excesses in the institutions.
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