campuses to discuss President Goodluck
Jonathan's offer to end their more than
four months strike.
According to the operating guidelines of
the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU), the local chapters are expected
to vote on whether they agreed with the
proposal and that the strike should end or
whether they disapproved and the strike
should continue.
Decisions reached on the various
campuses are to be taken to tomorrow's
National Executive Council (NEC) meeting,
which will take a decision after
aggregating the opinions.
Opinions were divided yesterday,
although many ASUU chapters failed to
disclose their decisions.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos
State University (LASU), University of
Calabar (UNICAL), Usman Dan Fodio
University, Sokoto, Federal University of
Technology Akure (FUTA), Federal
University of Technology Minna and
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
(LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapters voted
that the strike should end. Some of them,
however, gave conditions.
The University of Jos (UNIJOS), the
University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the
Nasarawa State University chapters voted
that the strike should continue.
UNIJOS chapter chairman Dr. David
Jankam said members did not see any
substance in the dialogue with the
Federal Government to warrant calling off
the strike.
He said: "We have just rounded off our
meeting. As a matter of fact, our
members voted overwhelmingly for the
continuation of the strike.
"I can also confirm to you that five of the
eight universities that make up the Bauchi
Zone of ASUU have also voted for
continuation of the strike, and the general
saying is that the government has not
shown any commitment so far.
"We started the meeting by briefing our
members on issues resolved with the
Federal Government in the last meeting
with the president of ASUU.
"But in responding to the briefing, our
members observed that the main issues
that led to the strike were not discussed
at the Aso Rock meeting.
"As such, my members said President
Jonathan is taking them for a ride by
trying to divert attention from the core
subjects of the strike."
Jankam went on: "I will now convey the
resolve of our branch to our national
president at the NEC meeting tomorrow."
Shedding light on how the meeting will
decide the mater, he said: "If the
majority of the chapters vote for its end,
it will be called off, but if majority of
chapters vote for continuation, so be it."
The congress of the Union at the Federal
University of Technology (FUT), Minna
was divided, with majority of the
members supporting the suspension of
the action. Others would want it
suspended with some conditions met by
the government.
The minority demanded that in calling off
the action, the leadership of the union
should insist that no member is victimised
for his roles in the strike. They also
insisted that government should indicate
in the final agreement that the 2009
agreement was due for negotiation and
the payment of the balance of their
academic earned allowances.
As soon as Dr. Fatai Jimoh briefed the
congress of the outcome of the meeting
between President Jonathan and the
union, the house was divided, with the
majority of the members pushing for
suspension.
The few dissenting voices argued that the
union should not fall prey to the
government's ploy. They cautioned that
the union cannot take the government
for its word, maintaining that if the union
had to embark on a strike after series of
correspondences and strike in 2011 that
led to the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in 2012 were not
honoured.
But majority of the university teachers
said the plight of the students and their
parents should be considered.
After an exhaustive debate, the congress
directed its chairman to convey to the
National Executive Council meeting
holding tomorrow at the Bayero
University in Kano that the union could
consider suspending the action, but
insisted that the three conditions be met.
Chapter chairman Dr. Fatai Jimoh, who
initially refused to divulge the outcome of
the congress, later said: "I have the
mandate to take the decision of the
congress to NEC. But, if you insist to
know, majority of our members called for
the suspension of the strike but with the
government fulfilling three conditions.
"Don't ask me the conditions, because we
don't want it yet in the public domain. All
I can tell you is that the strike is still on,
until the NEC of the union decides
otherwise."
The chapter chairman also refused to
assess the impact of the action. He said:
"As long as NEC has not suspended the
action, it will be premature to assess the
success or otherwise of the action. When
the strike is called off, I'll give my candid
assessment."
At Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida
University, Lapai, ASUU chair Comrade
Yahaya Badeggi said: "The congress at
IBBU Lapai resolved that the strike
continues until when the National
Executive Council of the union decides
otherwise. We know they are still
negotiating. We shall abide by the
decision of NEC."
On the gains of the action, Badeggi said:
"I make bold to say that the action has
produced some positive results. From the
N100 billion released, our university got
N450 million. This would not have been
so but for the strike. I believe that at the
end of the day, the university system will
be better for it."
The following are the decisions at the
various ASUU chapters on the strike.
•University of Benin (UNIBEN). Members
unanimously voted for the strike to
continue because the Federal
Government's offer omitted some vital
segments of the 2009 agreement;
•University of Lagos (UNILAG) teachers
want suspension of strike, but will await
further directive from the national body
after meeting tomorrow in Kano;
•University of Calabar (UNICAL) lecturers
voted for the suspension of the strike;
Nasarawa State University, Keffi. ASUU
chair Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said: "I can
assure you that all members present at
the congress today wanted the strike to
continue because the documents from
the government failed to address the
grey areas in contention. We believe
there is nothing practicable in the
government's offer, even with the N200
billion it promised to release. Before we
can suspend the strike, all unpaid salaries
of our colleagues must be paid and there
must be solid assurance from the
government that no member will be
victimised after the strike is eventually
suspended;
•Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When
the issue was put to vote, the majority of
members wanted an end to the strike,
with the agreement that the government
must sign a binding document on how it
will release the N1.2 trillion it promised
to release. They promised to abide by the
decision of the NEC in Kano;
•Delta State University (DELSU) members
want suspension of the strike.
•Ekiti State University (EKSU) lecturers
would not disclose the outcome of the
congress until after the NEC meeting
tomorrow;
•Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH). The
ASUU local chairman said he would not
disclose the outcome of the congress but
a lecturer who attended the congress said
members were okay with the offer of the
government and wanted the strike to
end;
•Lagos State University (LASU) chapter
supports the strike suspension.
A source who is from ASUU-LASU
executive, but pleaded not to be
mentioned, said the chapter only gave
certain conditions under which the strike
should be suspended.
Source: thenation
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