According to Independent
This is because the national leadership of the union is presently meeting with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and top government officials on early resolution of the lingering crisis that has put the academic community in crisis 2003.
In an interview with Independent, Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, Chairman of the University of Lagos chapter of the union (ASUU UNILAG) disclosed yesterday that the leadership was presently in talks with top officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and other senior government officials to ensure early resolution of the crisis.
“The union is discussing with relevant officials of the ministry of education. In view of this, our National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is fixed for Monday after which further measures and actions will be determined,” said Dr. Odukoya.
It is also gathered that the Senate in line with its resolution mandating Senate President Bukola Saraki to intervene in the ASUU strike had been in touch with the union’s leadership while an appraisal meeting was being proposed for Monday.
A source in the Senate, however, informed Independent that the Senate move will depend on the outcome of the conciliatory meeting between the ASUU leadership and officials of the Education ministry.
The warning strike called by the National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had led to a massive shutdown of majority of the universities across the country.
Independent reports that the strike was total except for University of Ilorin, Kwara State, which declined to join other federal universities in the action.
Lecturers in the other 43 federal and 40 states universities across the country have heeded ASUU’s call to embark a one-week warning strike that commenced nationwide on Wednesday.
It will be recalled that Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President had on Monday in Abuja called out members of the union to commence the strike over failure by the Federal Government to implement the 2009 Agreement and 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
However, academic activities at University of Ilorin, Kwara State, continued on Wednesday and Thursday unhindered as the lecturers of the institution shunned the nationwide strike called by the national leadership of the union.
When contacted, Dr. Usman Abdulraheem, the Unilorin branch chairman of ASUUtold news men that the branch was also in support of the demands being agitated for by the national body, saying that the branch refused to be part of the strike because of the failure of the national ASUU to align with Unilorin branch”.
He added; “It is high time the national ASUU have a re-think to work with the Unilorin branch so as to move the union forward”.
South West
On the contrary, members of the union at UNILAG, LASU, OOU, TASUED and the Kogi State University chapters, among others have also joined in the three day old strike.
At the Ijagba campus of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State students who were not happy about the development were seen leaving the university arena in groups.
The story was not different at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye as some of the students that chose to remain at their respective places of residences were seen discussing in groups just as others with small hand luggage were approaching the main park apparently to returning home.
Students at the Akoka campus of the University of Lagos were scanty at the halls of residence because many have vacated the campus having completed the semester examination prior to the commencement of the strike.
Students of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI) who were seen in their large number around the campus expressed sympathy for their counterparts on conventional programmes, saying that the development will again slow down the academic calendar.
Leo Okoroafor, a part three student in the social sciences told Independent that it was unfortunate because the university community across the country was just recovering from the last disruption in learning courtesy of the faceoff between the FG and ASUU.
Dr. Adelaja Odukoya, Chairman of ASUU UNILAG, who commended intervention by the Senate, added that it was unfortunate that they waited too long to heed the warning and turned deaf ears on the mobilization carried out by the union nationwide in the last three months.
Speaking in the same vein, Dr. Dayo Akinsanya, Vice Chairman, ASUU TASUED, Ijebu-Ode confirmed the commencement and full compliance by members of the union at the institution.
He condemned the attitude of those in authority for waiting until situation gets out of hand before intervention, saying that the senate and other informal groups have waited too long before the belated intervention.
Also, Dr. Adedapo Adewole, Vice Chairman ASUU UI stated that academics in Nigerian university system are not interested in going on strike or disruption of academic calendar, saying that government have failed in making things happen the way they are supposed to be.
South East
Academic learning at the Imo State University, IMSU, and Federal University of Technology, FUTO, have been grounded.
It was same story at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, UNEC, as the lecturers boycott classes just as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, also obeyed the one week strike as academic activities were suspended on campus.
The ASUU Chairman, UNN chapter, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada told newsmen that compliance was total.
South South
In the south south region, federal and state owned institutions in the zones also complied with the directive of the ASUU National Secretariat as many of the institutions were devoid of the usual commercial and movement of students in and out of the institutions.
Academic activities at the University of Calabar, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Niger Delta University, University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Edo State owned Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma were also paralysed as students were reported to gather in groups discussing the situation.
The Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, has also been crippled as ASUU in the institution joined the nationwide one-week warning strike called by the national body of the union.
Independent correspondent who visited the NDU campus yesterday observed that students were leaving the school in droves.
Independent correspondent who visited the NDU campus yesterday observed that students were leaving the school in droves.
Stanley Ogoun, chairman of ASUU, NDU chapter, told reporters at Amassoma that the Federal Government forced the union to opt for strike.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this current action is compelled by failure of negotiations and several entreaties from our union since 2014 to date and the current trend in some states where staff salaries are sacrificed on the alter of other exigencies”, he said.
Ogoun maintained that it was imperative for government to put infrastructural development on hold and concentrate on the welfare of citizens which he described as very important.
He stated that the one-week warning strike was specifically informed by the government’s refusal to respect terms of the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the ASUU.
Ogoun listed the infractions to include non-release of funding for revitalization of public universities based on the FGN-ASUU 2009 MoU of November 2013, non-release of subvention to state universities by their visitors and payment of staff salaries, and refusal to issue license for the registration of NUPEMCO.
Others are government’s refusal to pay Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), shortfall in salaries leading to payment of fractions of staff salaries, non-payment of salaries of staff in the staff primary schools, exemption of universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy, and renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
Ogoun, who was flanked by the secretary of ASUU, Tonbara Kingdom and other officials of the union, called on students, parents and the ordinary people of the country to understand that the strike was aimed at resisting the privatisation of university education.
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