The next move of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) is not yet clear, even
after its zonal chapters have held congress
meetings to deliberate on a new offer from the
federal government. The union’s National
Executive Council (NEC) is expected to hold a
decisive meeting tomorrow to make its final
position known.
Following a marathon meeting with President
Jonathan last week, the ASUU leadership had
briefed the zonal coordinators on the outcome
and consequently directed the local branches to
organise congress meetings to vote for or
against the suspension of the four-month-old
strike.
But reports coming from the Jos chapter of
ASUU yesterday said the lecturers voted in
favour of continuation of the strike on the
grounds that the meeting between the union
and Jonathan did not achieve anything
concrete.
The Jos decision was taken at a referendum
where 194 voted for the strike to be continued
while 80 voted in favour of a suspension.
Those who spoke in favour of the strike to
continue wondered why it should be called off
on the basis of pleas and verbal promises by
the President Jonathan when the government
is allegedly reputed for not honouring
agreements.
LEADERSHIP further gathered that those
rooting for the suspension of the strike spoke
passionately on the need to consider the
impact of the strike on students and the
gesture from Jonathan who met personally
with ASUU leaders and pleaded with them to
suspend the strike.
Dr David Jangkham, chairman of the University
of Jos chapter, after announcing the results of
the voting, said the national body which would
collate the referendum from various chapters
will come up with a stand on whether the
strike would be suspended or sustained.
The ASUU congress, University of Ibadan,
failed to reach a resolution to end the strike.
Although journalists were barred from
covering the congress, feelers have it that
members asked their leadership to commit the
president to signing the resolution of FG/
ASUU meeting held last week and include a
non-victimisation clause so as not to allow any
contentious issue to be generated afterwards
about the agreement.
Also speaking in a solidarity appearance at the
congress, former minister of petroleum Prof.
Tam David West yesterday warned that only
justice in all sectors can stop any form of strike
in Nigeria.
He said, “ASUU will continue to go on strike
as long as there is injustice in the system. I am
not congratulating the president. How can I
commend him for a wasted five months? This
should be condemned. You must sign what
you will implement. I am saying that I will
continue to support ASUU struggles.”
As at the time of filing this report, members of
the ASUU at the Obafemi Awolowo University
(OAU), Ile-Ife, were still holding the chapter’s
congress, but sources close to the union
confirmed that members had already opted for
the suspension of the industrial action.
Similarly, other members of the union from
various other campuses including Ladoke
Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH,
Ogbomoso; Rivers State University of Science
and Technology, RSUST, Port Harcourt; and
Kogi State University, Ayingba, told
LEADERSHIP that they were optimistic that
the strike would be called off on Thursday
after the NEC might have met between
tomorrow evening and Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, arrangements have been concluded
for tomorrow’s crucial NEC meeting of the
ASUU at the Bayero University, Kano, where
the protracted strike embarked upon by the
teachers’ union is expected to be called off.
Investigations by LEADERSHIP revealed that
some of the union’s chapters’ leaders were
already moving to the venue of the meeting as
at yesterday following the conclusion of their
congresses earlier in the day.
The chairman of the University of Lagos,
UNILAG, chapter of the union, Dr Oghenekaro
Ogbinaka, told LEADERSHIP that he was
already on his way to Kano when the
newspaper called to know the outcome of the
chapter’s congress.
But efforts to speak to the chairman of the
NEC’s host university, Dr A. Baffa, was
unsuccessful as calls put through to his mobile
line were unanswered.
Incidentally, some university students are
already getting set to return to campuses and
have appealed to ASUU not to dampen their
spirits. Some students, however, said that the
timing of the suspension could pose a
challenge.
One of the students who sought anonymity
said, “I’ll be glad if the strike is called off,
because it is long overdue but there might be a
problem with the timing. There is every
possibility that once we get back to school,
we’d be rushed through the first semester and
might find ourselves writing exams when we
are hardly prepared for it.”
Another student said, “Many of us, the affected
students, have not been idle during this
period. We have projects already in motion
that would be abruptly cut short if we are
called back to school now. It won’t be a very
bad idea if we start the academic year on a
fresh page in January.”
A 300-level student also said that academic
performances of students might suffer. She
said, “Many students have become very distant
from their books and, since exams might be
looming almost immediately after resumption,
we might not have enough time to reconcile
ourselves with our academic level before the
strike.” http://leadership.ng/news/121113/confusion-trails-ASUU-s-move-suspend-strike-0

Jesus pls take control....

Alright. I'll be happy if we resume anytime from january tho' this year is gone already

Abeg sch tinz no ni. Shame to uni jos 4 voting against una dey do like say na una holy pass. Make shc resume abeg GOD take control.

There is no confusion oh...there is meeting in Kano on wednesday and the strike will most likely be called off then.let's just say it'll be over this week.schools resume on monday

These schools that don't want us to resume are not serious people. Is it until the strike waits for 2 and a half year that you know that president jonathan has done something u are all bunch of unseriouis people. What I will advice the ASUU president to do is to call off the strike because majority carry the votes. He cannot say because of just 8 schools the uni will not resume and I know that when the strike is kald off those remaining schools can wait and be doing their strike