ASUU to Parents: Keep Your Children at Home, Strike is Still On

The Academic Staff Union of

Universities, ASUU, has warned

parents not to endanger the

lives of their wards and children

by sending them to their

university campuses, as

directed by the Federal

Government.

“Don’t risk the lives of your

children and wards. Keep them

at home because ASUU will not

teach. Soldiers and the police

deployed by the Federal

Government will not teach.

Wike can come and teach in the

universities. It is a huge joke to

sack lecturers. Our strike must

not be in vain. Our students

must see the results."

ASUU, which also directed all

its members not to sign

attendance registers in their

institutions, lashed out at the

Federal Government for lack of

consistency in its statements

on the ongoing strike.

The Supervising Minister of

Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike,

had at a news conference in

Abuja on Thursday, threatened

that any ASUU member that

failed to resume on or before

December 4th would be

sacked.

Wike also directed vice-

chancellors to advertise

vacancies (internal and

external) in their institutions.

He told the vice-chancellors to

open attendance registers for

lecturers that resumed in their

universities.

The Government then directed

the Inspector-General of Police,

Mohammed Abubakar, to

deploy policemen in all the

federal universities.

But the Chairman, University of

Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr.

Segun Ajiboye, said parents

should keep their children and

wards at home as no academic

activity would resume until the

strike is properly called off.

Ajiboye added, “It is funny. We

thought we are in a democracy.

I assure Nigerians that we

know what the law says about

the strike. Our job is statue

backed. We are not threatened.

We do not trust the

government. The record of the

government is clear. This

government is dishonouring

agreements. Our members are

resolved to pursue this to a

logical conclusion.

“If ASUU could withstand

Babangida, this government

cannot threaten us. We have

worked this road before, the

only thing that will work is

peaceful resolution. It is sad

that government wants to sack

us because we are asking for

the resolutions. We are ready

to be sacked but government

should learn from the University

of Ilorin experience. We are

going to stay the course.”

ASUU President, Dr. Nassir

Fagge, urged the lecturers to be

resolute. He said:

“Comrades, can you see the

unfolding drama? Now

Jonathan says they didn’t give

ultimatum. That the vice-

chancellors did and Wike

became their trumpet. But

NUC’s (National Universities

Commission) ultimatum is by

the Federal Government to us

to resume or get sacked.

“Wike’s press address says ‘FG

has directed’ not ‘VCs have

directed.’ Be calm, stay

resolute. By God’s grace, we

are on course.”