All the chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] that met in various campuses across the country yesterday to deliberate on the fate of their four-month old strike action recommended that it be suspended for two weeks to enable a final agreement to be reached with the Federal Government. Their recommendations are expected to guide the ASUU National Executive Committee [NEC] meeting on Friday, when it meets to decide on the fate of the marathon strike action.
ASUU’s NEC had met at the University of Abuja campus on Monday night and directed all its chapters to hold emergency congresses and choose from among three options. Option 1 was for the strike to be called off. Option 2 was for it to be suspended for two weeks to enable the leadership to conclude an agreement with the Federal Government on the remaining knotty issues. Option was to reject the tentative agreement reached with government officials and peace brokers at the weekend and to continue with the strike until all ASUU’s demands are met.
However, our reporters gathered yesterday that ASUU congresses held at the campuses of Bayero University, Kano, University of Abuja, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Benue State University, Makurdi, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, University of Port Harcourt and the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt all recommended the second option to the union’s NEC.
Our reporters also learnt that congress meetings are scheduled to hold this morning at the University of Maiduguri, the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto as well as the University of Jos to take a position on the strike. Congresses were also held yesterday at the University of Lagos, the Lagos State University [LASU] and the University of Benin, but our reporters could not get a clear picture of the decisions reached. At the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, university of Illorin and the Gombe State University, Gombe, no meetings were scheduled because those ASUU chapters are not participating in the strike. Similarly, lecturers at the Kaduna State University, Kaduna suspended their strike action and resumed work last Wednesday.
A lecturer at the University of Maiduguri told our reporter last night that the overwhelming feeling among the teachers there is for the strike to be called off. He said the four months’ duration of the strike had sapped support for it among the lecturers, coupled with the effect of the no-work-no-pay rule implemented by government.
Lecturers of the University of Port Harcourt demanded in their resolution that government should give priority them whenever there is going to be a national salary review in the country. They demanded an enhanced African benchmark on salary, saying “We want to be among the top three best paid university lecturers on the continent.’’ They also demanded that the appointment of all Vice Chancellors should be the exclusive preserve of the Governing Councils.
ASUU chairman at the Benue State University (BSU) Mr. Ralph Amokaha told Daily Trust that “Ordinarily, we would not have wanted to go back until our demands are met. But following the intervention of prominent Nigerians like Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Speaker Dimeji Bankole, the congress of ASUU-BSU decided for the option to suspend the strike for two weeks. We are doing this for people watching to see that ASUU is bending to government wishes again. Let them rubbish us by doing what they want like they have always done. If by chance they decided to be honourable, then good.”
University of Agriculture in Makurdi (UAM) ASUU Chairman Mr. Amine Daniel said “In our branch, we have accepted that we should call off the strike for two weeks. Within those two weeks, we expect government would have completed negotiation and signing of the agreement.” He however added that “if these conditions are fulfilled at the end of this two weeks period, we will meet and call off strike. But if they do not at the end of the two weeks, the strike will resume full blast. That is our decision”.
In Lagos however, the chairmen of UNILAG and LASU kept mum on the outcome of their meetings, saying they would communicate their reports to the national executive council at its next meeting billed for Abuja on Friday. Unilag ASUU’s Dr. Kabir Olusegun Akinyemi and LASU ASUU’s Dr. Ayo Olowe both said their report is sacred and not meant for the public until a final decision is made on Friday.
University of Benin branch ASUU chairman Kenneth Kassidu Ilavbare told Daily Trust in Benin that there is an instruction from the national body not to talk to the press until after Friday, when the National body is expected to make a statement on the ongoing strike action. Even though academic activities were disrupted by the strike action, it did not stop the Post University Matriculation Examination [PUME] as over 5000 candidates sat for the PUME test in September.
The institutions ASUU however kicked against the conduct of post JAMB while the strike was on the strike also failed to stop the Uniben Senate from meeting and electing an acting Vice Chancellor.
In Minna, the ASUU chairman Dr Babatope Alabadan told Daily Trust that the chapter backs a 2-week suspension but awaits the outcome of deliberations between the national body and the federal government. Our reporter also learnt in Minna that members of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Universities [NASU] plan to stage a peaceful demonstration in the city today to call for equal treatment with its ASUU counterparts. The source said the protest will be marked by a peaceful match in the state capital where its members are expected to wield placards calling for conditions of service similar to those granted ASUU members.
Chairman of ASUU at Bayero University, Kano Dr Abdullahi Baffa also refused to discuss his chapter’s position, saying only the NEC can take a final decision. Baffa, a Mathematics lecturer, said their decision had already been forwarded to the NEC. Daily Trust however learnt that the chapter voted to back the two-week’ suspension option.
