THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
yesterday said it was wrong for the Federal Government
to claim that opponents of the government have
hijacked its industrial action.
Meanwhile, there are signals that whenever the ASUU
strike comes to an end, a fresh crisis may erupt at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as the Joint Action
Committee on Trade Unions of the university yesterday
threatened to shut down the institution as soon as
academic activities resume.
ASUU has dashed all hope for a quick resumption of
academic activities in public universities, as it vowed
not to succumb to attempt by the Federal Government
to blackmail it to calling off the over three months
industrial action.
The union’s chairman in the University of Port
Harcourt, Prof. Antonia Okerengwo, told journalists
yesterday in Port Harcourt that the Federal Government
has been economical with the details of the reasons
Nigerian public university teachers have been on strike
in the last three months and that it is wrong to use
ASUU to fight a political war.
Okerengwo said it was rather wrong for President
Goodluck Jonathan to claim that those with political
vendetta against the government have hijacked ASUU’s
struggle, adding that it was sad that the government
has allegedly decided to reduce the struggle to
politicking.
“When I listened to the president saying that, I sent a
message to somebody and said it is the government
that is being political, we know our politicians, once
something is not going their way, they explain it to
mean their enemies are using it for political reasons, is
this the first time ASUU is going on strike? We have
been on strike for the same issues all along. Did we also
play politics during Babangida’s time, during the military
era in 1992 when we went on strike? Did we also play
politics when Abacha was head of state and we went on
strike, was it also political?” she stated.
She spoke as the National Union of Electricity
Employees (NUEE) gave the Federal Government one
week to settle its differences with ASUU or face the
mother of all strikes that may cripple the country if
nothing is done.
Also, ASUU has warned the authorities of the University
of Ilorin not to share the N986.7 million earned
allowance disbursed to it by the Federal Government
until the ongoing strike is over.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Ayan Adeleke, told
reporters in Ibadan that the union chairman in
UNILORIN, Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju had already
conveyed the position of the university teachers to the
institution’s management, warning that universities
should not betray the struggle by disbursing the earned
allowances until the struggle is over.
It was gathered that workers in the University of Ilorin
early yesterday engaged themselves and the university
management over modalities for sharing of the
institution’s share of the N30 billion disbursed to the
universities by the Federal Government.
Dr. Adeleke, who faulted the Professor Wahab Egbewole
faction of the union in UNILORIN, reminded that the
National Industrial Court had declared the group illegal.
University of Ibadan ASUU Chairman, Dr. Segun Ajiboye,
said, “it is the height of immorality for these fellows in
Ilorin to be squabbling over the proceeds of a struggle
that they did not participate in”, adding that the union
is committed to full revitalization of the public
university system and not the peanut of earned
allowances.
Speaking during a training workshop organized for
labour leaders of the union in Enugu, General Secretary
of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE),
Comrade Joe Ajaero said the union would align with
others across the country to embark on a solidarity
strike with ASUU if the impasse persists.
In University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the ASUU and NASU at
a press conference said the plan to shut down the
institution has become necessary following alleged
ongoing corruption, looting and flagrant abuse of office
by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barth Okolo.
The two unions alleged that Okolo had run the
institution since he assumed office without a budget.
They called on the Federal Government to constitute a
judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the
activities of the vice chancellor and the immediate past
council of the school with a view to sanitizing the
system.
When contacted, Okolo said the issues raised by the
unions were “instigated” and calculated at tarnishing his
achievements in office, adding that they had no
relationship with the goings on in the school.
Okolo, who would not want to respond pointedly to the
issues raised by the unions added: “The type of growth
that has happened in the UNN presently has never
happened anywhere since the inception of the
institution. It is being testified everywhere and I am yet
to believe that it is all the members of the unions that
addressed the press conference.”
yesterday said it was wrong for the Federal Government
to claim that opponents of the government have
hijacked its industrial action.
Meanwhile, there are signals that whenever the ASUU
strike comes to an end, a fresh crisis may erupt at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as the Joint Action
Committee on Trade Unions of the university yesterday
threatened to shut down the institution as soon as
academic activities resume.
ASUU has dashed all hope for a quick resumption of
academic activities in public universities, as it vowed
not to succumb to attempt by the Federal Government
to blackmail it to calling off the over three months
industrial action.
The union’s chairman in the University of Port
Harcourt, Prof. Antonia Okerengwo, told journalists
yesterday in Port Harcourt that the Federal Government
has been economical with the details of the reasons
Nigerian public university teachers have been on strike
in the last three months and that it is wrong to use
ASUU to fight a political war.
Okerengwo said it was rather wrong for President
Goodluck Jonathan to claim that those with political
vendetta against the government have hijacked ASUU’s
struggle, adding that it was sad that the government
has allegedly decided to reduce the struggle to
politicking.
“When I listened to the president saying that, I sent a
message to somebody and said it is the government
that is being political, we know our politicians, once
something is not going their way, they explain it to
mean their enemies are using it for political reasons, is
this the first time ASUU is going on strike? We have
been on strike for the same issues all along. Did we also
play politics during Babangida’s time, during the military
era in 1992 when we went on strike? Did we also play
politics when Abacha was head of state and we went on
strike, was it also political?” she stated.
She spoke as the National Union of Electricity
Employees (NUEE) gave the Federal Government one
week to settle its differences with ASUU or face the
mother of all strikes that may cripple the country if
nothing is done.
Also, ASUU has warned the authorities of the University
of Ilorin not to share the N986.7 million earned
allowance disbursed to it by the Federal Government
until the ongoing strike is over.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Ayan Adeleke, told
reporters in Ibadan that the union chairman in
UNILORIN, Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju had already
conveyed the position of the university teachers to the
institution’s management, warning that universities
should not betray the struggle by disbursing the earned
allowances until the struggle is over.
It was gathered that workers in the University of Ilorin
early yesterday engaged themselves and the university
management over modalities for sharing of the
institution’s share of the N30 billion disbursed to the
universities by the Federal Government.
Dr. Adeleke, who faulted the Professor Wahab Egbewole
faction of the union in UNILORIN, reminded that the
National Industrial Court had declared the group illegal.
University of Ibadan ASUU Chairman, Dr. Segun Ajiboye,
said, “it is the height of immorality for these fellows in
Ilorin to be squabbling over the proceeds of a struggle
that they did not participate in”, adding that the union
is committed to full revitalization of the public
university system and not the peanut of earned
allowances.
Speaking during a training workshop organized for
labour leaders of the union in Enugu, General Secretary
of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE),
Comrade Joe Ajaero said the union would align with
others across the country to embark on a solidarity
strike with ASUU if the impasse persists.
In University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the ASUU and NASU at
a press conference said the plan to shut down the
institution has become necessary following alleged
ongoing corruption, looting and flagrant abuse of office
by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barth Okolo.
The two unions alleged that Okolo had run the
institution since he assumed office without a budget.
They called on the Federal Government to constitute a
judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the
activities of the vice chancellor and the immediate past
council of the school with a view to sanitizing the
system.
When contacted, Okolo said the issues raised by the
unions were “instigated” and calculated at tarnishing his
achievements in office, adding that they had no
relationship with the goings on in the school.
Okolo, who would not want to respond pointedly to the
issues raised by the unions added: “The type of growth
that has happened in the UNN presently has never
happened anywhere since the inception of the
institution. It is being testified everywhere and I am yet
to believe that it is all the members of the unions that
addressed the press conference.”
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