Nigerian striking university
lecturers, after their various
meeting on their campuses,
Monday, to discuss
President Goodluck
Jonathan's offer to end
their more than four months
old strike were
dividedagainst themselves.
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 Wednesday's
National Executive Council
(NEC) meeting, which will
take a decision after
aggregating the opinions.
Their various 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
matter, 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.
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