FUT Minna backs strike
suspension.

The congress of the Union
at the Federal University
of Technology (FUT), Minna
was divided Monday with
majority of members in
support of suspension of
the four month old action,
while others would want
it suspended with some
conditions met by
government.
The minority demanded
that in calling off the
action, the leadership of
the union should insist
that no member is
victimised for their role in
the strike. They also
insisted that government
should indicate in the final
agreement as agreed with
the President that the
2009 was due for
negotiation as well as the
payment of the balance of
their academic earned
allowances.
No sooner the chapter
chairman, Dr. Fatai Jimoh
briefed the congress of the
outcome of the meeting
between President
Goodluck Jonathan and
the leadership of the
union that the house was
divided with majority of
the members pushing for
suspension of the strike.
The few dissenting voice
argued that the union
should not fall prey to
federal government ploy.
They cautioned that the
union cannot take
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
Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in
2012 were not honoured.
But majority of the
university teachers said
that the plight of the
students and their parents
should be considered.
After exhaustive debate,
the congress resolved and
directed its chairman to
convey to the national
executive council meeting
holding tomorrow in Kano
that the union can
consider suspending the
action but insisted that
the three other conditions
be met.
When contacted, the
chapter chairman, Dr. Fatai
Jimoh initially refused to
divulged the outcome of
the congress but later
confirmed that majority of
his congress members
pushed for suspension.
“I have the mandate to
take the decision of the
congress to NEC holding
day after tomorrow. 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 public
domain. All I can tell you is
that the strike is still on
until the NEC of the union
decide otherwise,” Jimoh
stated.
The chapter chairman also
refused to assess the
impact of the action.
According th him, “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 efforts to get the
outcome of the congress
failed as the Chairman was
out of reach but the
congress on Friday during
a community walk to
sensitised members of the
public resolved to abide
by the decision of the NEC
of the Union.
Speaking after the walk,
the chapter chairman,
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 four
month old 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 university
system will be better for
it”. -THE NATION NEWS

I can understand ASUU's stand even as a student...we cannot allow things to go the way it is.Its even a bad thing for ASUU to go on strike before FG do what they ought to do.Now the big question is ...will the money be wasted,embezzled or be used appropriately?