₦airaland Forum

pls stop dat statement @ibnsultan... In uniabuja rumours are always the truth... We are all here to help ourselves... We being here to pass u guys info abt d skul dose nt mean dat we dnt hv finz to do... Pls lets be loyal here...

ERC condemns closure of UNIABUJA
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has condemned
the recent closure of the University of Abuja following
students’ protests for a resolution of the crisis between
the management and the university chapter of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU so as to
allow the conduct of examinations.
It would be recalled that the ASUU-UNIABUJA chapter
commenced an indefinite strike on June 2, 2014 to
protest the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated
to the institution by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor
James Adelabu. The National Coordinator of the ERC,
Mr. Hassan Soweto in a news release said that the
closure of the university is ‘an attack on the
fundamental rights of the students of UNIABUJA, who
hit the streets in protest saying that the crisis in the
university is unwarranted.
We call on the UNIABUJA management to meet the
demands of the lecturers in order for the university to
resume for students to sit for the examinations.’ The
ERC also called for national protest national of Nigerian
students to resist the wave of fee hike as in OAU, LASU,
UNIPORT and TASUED. It also called for solidarity
protests in support of the protracted strike action of
ASUP and COEASU and attacks on democratic rights as
was the case in UNIABUJA.

Yet TO

Now that the site is back and sounded we give thanks to GOD

ASUU set to end strike today
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to end its six-month strike after it held its national executive meeting on Monday at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.

The ASUU president Dr. Nasir Fagge will address the press at noon on Tuesday.

The federal government and ASUU had signed an agreement to inject N200 billion into public universities over five years.

The ASUU strike, which crippled academic activities in most federal and state-owned universities, began on July 1.

ASUU STRIKE called off
DAILY POST
Report reaching DailyPost from Minna, Niger State
capital, indicates that the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, has called off its five months
strike.
The Union arrived at the latest decision to suspends
its strike after a marathon meeting held at the
Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna,
Niger State on Monday.
After a protracted debate, the Federal Government
and ASUU reached a compromise during a
negotiation brokered by the President of the
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade
Abdulwaheed Omar few days ago.
Details shortly.

ASUU STRIKE Latest: Union Exco meets
in Niger on Monday; sets to end strike
THE NATION
The stage is set for the striking Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off the over five
month old strike as the National Executive
Committee (NEC) of the union holds a crucial in
Minna tomorrow (Monday) to rectify the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with
the federal government.
The meeting which is being hosted by Federal
University of Technology (FUT) Minna branch of the
union was in fulfillment of the one week promised
by ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge last
Wednesday after the signing of the MoU with the
federal government that members will meet to
decide to call off the strike.
Like the last ASUU NEC meeting in Kano that was
shrouded in high secrecy, the venue of today’s
meeting is kept to only members of NEC, as the
meeting may not be holding in either Bosso or Gida
Kwano campuses of the University.
The agenda of the NEC meeting was also not made
public, but a source within the union said that the
meeting will among other things consider the MoU,
the leadership will present documents to show
government’s commitment, assess the impact of
the industrial action and map out strategies on how
to monitor and ensure implementation of the
documented agreement.
A NEC member who spoke with our correspondent
in confidence said, “we are here essentially to look
into the MoU as ASUU President promised last
Wednesday that members will review the
development and decide to call off the strike. The
meeting will also fashion out strategies for
monitoring the implementation of the MoU”.
Asked if the meeting will be calling off the strike,
our source said, “I may not be able to answer that
but my thinking which is personal is that, if our
leaders could sign the MoU with government last
week, I think we are close to a truce”.
ASUU President had on Wednesday also gave hint
of possible cessation of the action. According to
Fagge after signing the MoU, “Within one week our
members will meet and decide to call off the strike.
We have a document here which shows that
government is committed and all the things we
demanded are in the letter.
“We will now take this document to our members
and we are confident that our members will do the
appropriate thing”.
Efforts to reach ASUU President and the FUT Minna
branch chairperson, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh failed.
None of them could be reached for comment, but as
at the time of filling the report yesterday about 30
members of the NEC were already in Minna for the
meeting.
Federal government on Wednesday shifted from its
hardline to sign an MoU at a meeting brokered by
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to implement
decision reached with President Goodluck Jonathan
during the historic 15 hour meeting with the union
leaders.
Lecturers in all publicly owned universities
embarked on an indefinite strike on the 2nd of July,
following the refusal of federal government to fulfill
the 2009 agreement it had with the union and non-
implementation of 2012 Mou.
The action that was climaxed when federal
government gave a December 4 ultimatum for the
striking teachers to return to classrooms or face
mass sack.

If the #200billion meant for ASUU mistakenly enters your account, would you return it or let the strike continue

The Federal Government and
the Academic Staff Union of
Universities have reached an
agreement to end the over five
month old strike by ASUU. The
lecturer’s association has
however said that its members
may return to work next week.
The Supervising Minister of
Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike told
journalists at a meeting with the
leadership of ASUU, President of the
Nigeria Labour Congress, Executive
Secretary of the Nigerian
Universities Commission and five
vice- chancellors of universities that
all contending issues between the
parties have been resolved.
The parties signed a document to
seal the agreement which spells
great hope that the over five-month
old strike may be called off within
one week, although the president of
ASUU, Professor Nasir Faggae
declined to say what was contained
in the document.
ASUU’s demands include the
upward review of the retirement
age for professors from 65 to 70;
adequate funding to revitalise the
university system; progressive
increase of budgetary allocations to
the education sector by 26 per cent;
transfer of federal government
property to universities; setting up
of research and development units
by companies; payment of earned
allowances; and renegotiation of the
signed agreement.
The agreement between the two is
reached barely 24 hours after the
Special Assistant on Public Affairs,
Dr. Doyin Okupe presented a proof
of payment of N200 billion into an
account with the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
The strike began on July 1st 2013
and lasted for over five months
before this resolution was reached.

ASUU Strike: Nigerian government’s
ultimatum reaches as University of Abuja
begins partial lectures
The government ordered the lecturers to resume
work on or before December 9.
The ultimatum issued by the federal government to
striking university lecturers to resume work lapses
on Monday with the lecturers defiling the
government’s directive.
Public university lecturers across Nigeria have been
on a nationwide strike since July 1, initially
demanding the full implementation of a 2009
agreement between the lecturers (Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU) and the federal
government.
Following months of negotiations between the two
sides, the lecturers met with President Goodluck
Jonathan in November leading to the lecturers
shifting ground amidst some concessions from the
federal government.
Part of the agreement reached at the meeting was
the increased funding to universities beginning from
a N200 billion intervention fund in 2013. ASUU
wants the money released to the universities within
two weeks while the federal government through a
presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, presented evidence
that the process of making the payment to the
universities had begun through the Central Bank.
The lecturers also want a non-victimisation clause
included in the final agreement with the president;
as well as the commencement of re-negotiation of
the 2009 agreement in 2014, as discussed with the
president.
However, the federal government, through the
Education Minister, Nyesom Wike, on November 28
gave ASUU a week ultimatum to call off the strike;
else there would be mass sack of the non-
complying lecturers. Though the ultimatum was to
end on December 4, the National Universities
Commission boss, Julius Okojie, announced its
extension to December 9.
“Government decided to shift the deadline after it
received notification of Prof. Festus Iyayi’s funeral
rites slated for between December 5 and 7,” Mr.
Okojie said.
ASUU has vowed to ignore the government’s
ultimatum with many lecturers describing it as a
‘joke.’
“I see this whole thing as a joke and I dare say it is
not even worth my comments. We just keep our
fingers crossed and watch. I still emphasise that
such ultimatum is a display of insensitivity and a
huge joke,” Oyelowo Oyewo, a Law Professor at the
University of Lagos said.
However, some university lecturers have heeded
the government’s directive as directed by the
university management.
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the University of
Abuja on Friday, few students were seen on campus
while most lecture halls remained empty.
The Departments of Banking and Finance, Asian
Studies, Accounting, and Business Administration
are some of the departments were few lectures
held.
Samaja James, a student of the Department of
Banking and Finance, said she had attended some
lectures.
”At least we have received three lectures this week,
the first was on Monday, the second on Wednesday,
and the third Friday so we are done for the week’,”
she said.
A lecturer at the department, Ayeni Bola, explained
his reason for resuming lectures despite the ASUU
strike.
”We (ASUU) met with the President and there were
some conditions and so we on our part have
decided to respect the President by resuming, now
its left for the President to keep to his words,
”The President cannot say we will not attend to you
till you resume and we on our own part cannot say
we will not resume till we are attended to so we
cannot continue like this,” ‘he said.
Another student who attended lectures at the
Department of Asian Studies, Haruna Mohammed,
told PREMIUM TIMES that ASUU’s actions are for its
interest and not those of students.
“I want to believe that ASUU does not have the
interest of the student at heart; that’s why most of
us decided to resume despite the few of us who
stayed back at home.
”We are the ones feeling it, not them, not their kids.
I mean most us have plans for the future and
staying at home is not helping matters. That’s why
we are here for the lecturers that are ready to
(lecture),” he said.
The government is expected to announce a decision
later today on its lapsed ultimatum.

ASUU Strike Update: ASUU meets to
decide today
AS the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) meets today in Abuja, the issue
of resumption from their five months-old strike will
top the agenda of the meeting as expectations of
Nigerians is to see the universities resume for
lectures soonest.
The ASUU president, Comrade Nasir Isa Fagge’s
demand that the Federal Government should show
commitment of meeting the disbursement of N200
billion for the year 2013 allocation to the
universities through the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) was said to have been met, according to the
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Doyin
Okupe, last week.
The Federal Government’s threat to disengage any
lecturer that fails to resume lectures on December
4, earlier conveyed by the Minister of Education,
Nyesom Wike, has also been denied by President
Goodluck Jonathan. With all these expected areas of
conflict removed, many Nigerians are pleading with
ASUU to suspend the strike and resume work.
Indeed, feelers after the burial of the former ASUU
President, Professor Festus Iyayi, are that the
consensus among majority of ASUU members are
that the universities should resume for lectures
against the backdrop of various consultations.
Daily Newswatch investigations indicated that
expectations are high among students, parents and
Nigerians that the universities will finally resume
from its five-month-old strike at the end of today’s
meeting. According to a member of ASUU, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, the ASUU
president will be addressing some select journalists
in Abuja today on when to end the strike.
The threat by the Federal Government to sack
lecturers that refuse to abide by the ultimatum
fixed for today had done some incalculable damage
to the relationship between ASUU and the
government, especially the fairly smooth meetings
between the lecturers and President Jonathan.
However, already there are indications that many
universities will resume work latest first week of
January owing to the Yuletide period.
Of course, some of the universities appeared to
have heeded the government’s ultimatum to reopen
for lectures. The reopening of the University of
Benin (UNIBEN) brings to five the number of
universities that have resumed. The other schools
include University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka,
Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo
State; Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT),
Enugu, and the Ibrahim Badamosi University, Lapai,
in Niger State.
The authorities of the University of Ibadan have,
however, announced plans to commence academic
activities on January 6, 2014. A circular released by
the management of the university stated that its
actions were sequel to the directives of the
Committee of Pro-chancellors (CPC) of federal
universities.
The revised academic calendar for the remaining
part of the Second Semester 2012/2013 shows that
students are expected to arrive on Saturday and
Sunday, January 4 and 5, while lectures will
commence on January 6.
Teaching is expected to take place for 11 weeks,
from Monday, January 6 to Friday, March 21, while
revision will take place from March 24 to 28.
Students of the university will sit for their
examinations from Monday, March 31 to Friday April
11. The senate of the university would meet on May
12 to consider the results of the graduating
students.
Also, the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, yesterday, December 8, directed
the students to go back to class. According to a
statement by the Public Relations Officer of OAU,
Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, “the authorities of the
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, have
announced Sunday, 8th December, 2013, as the
resumption date for the 2012/ 2013 rain semester.
“Accordingly, students of the university are
expected to come into residence on the above date
as lectures will commence immediately.”
The statement noted that lectures would commence
immediately after the resumption. Students of the
university narrowly escaped not completing their
Harmattan Semester exams when the strike began
on July 1.
It was gathered that the university was lagging
behind with a semester compared to other Federal
universities in the country.
At the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos,
Daily Newswatch investigations showed that many
lecturers of the university have continued to mount
pressure on the chapter’s ASUU to call off the strike.
The lecturers were said to have held a congress last
week and a large percentage of them in the UNILAG
voted for calling off of the strike and resuming
work, especially over their inability to carry out
research.
A lecturer who spoke with Daily Newswatch on the
condition of anonymity said although the outcome
of today’s meeting will confirm the resumption
date, but he stressed that they hoped the strike
would be called off before January.
However, candidates that were offered admission
into the UNILAG have been going through screening
and registration processes since two weeks,
although the lecturers said the strike continues until
they receive directives from the National Executive
Council of ASUU after today’s meeting.
“Government owns the school, not us, so, we have
to work with the decision of government. The
decision of the owner (the Federal Government)
supersedes that of any pressure groups in the
school. By now, schools are working their calendars
and adjusting them in preparation for resumption,
so, one cannot just jump into the class and begin to
teach,” the source said.
However, Daily Newswatch investigations showed
that in schools where management had forced
resumption, only partial academic activities were
going. For instance, at Ebonyi State University
(EBSU), Abakaliki, which management had pulled
out of the nationwide strike since November 23,
with an order that all academic activities on all the
campuses of the university should resume on
November 26, full academic work was yet to kick
off.
The EBSU ASUU Chairman, Prof. Ndubuisi Idenyi,
had promised a showdown with the management,
should they try to force the lecturers to resume,
reiterating that they were waiting for ASUU national
body to call of the strike before they could comply.
The statement signed by the Registrar, Sam N.
Egwu, Idenyi calling of the strike, stated that
following the inability of Federal Government and
ASUU to reach an agreement over the lingering
strike, the university management had resolved to
commence its academic activities.
But when contacted, Idenyi stated the ASUU chapter
of EBSU dissociated itself from the purported
reopening by the management and maintained that
the strike was still in progress until they got
directive from the national leadership.
Asked what would be their reaction if the school
management decided to punish their members for
refusing to resume work, Idenyi said they were
ready for showdown with the school management if
they dared them.
A similar scenario was the case at the Adekunle
Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), with
some lecturers of the institution complying with the
directive by the management of the school to
commence lectures.
Although lectures have not started fully in all the
departments, a visit to the school campus showed
that lectures had started in some of the faculties/
departments, including Faculties of Arts and
Education.
It was also gathered that timetables for lectures for
the second semester of the 2012/2013 academic
session had been released by each of the
departments, to signal the commencement of
academic exercise. Also, meetings of the heads of
departments in each of the faculties were held to
ensure proper course allocation among the
lecturers.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor
Femi Mimiko, and principal officers of the institution
went round the campus to monitor the level of
compliance with the directive.
Speaking after the monitoring exercise, Professor
Mimiko expressed satisfaction, saying the
development showed that about 60 per cent of the
academic staff were back on campus.
“I am satisfied with the level of response that we
have received so far viz-a-viz the directive that
management gave that lectures should resume
today. I have personally gone round and I also sent
my principal officers to go round the classrooms
and it was discovered that quite a number of
classes held.
“As we speak, lecturers are in the classrooms
teaching; yes, the students are just coming back to
campus, that is not unexpected, but the good thing
there is, more than half of the total number of
lecturers have indicated their desire to teach and
they are all over the place teaching. I hope and
believe that from tomorrow, the situation will
improve,” he said.
Professor Mimiko said it was a matter of individual
choice if a parent chose to listen to ASUU and kept
his child at home, adding that there was little or
nothing that could be done to that.
Also, students and lecturers of the Enugu State
University of Science and Technology (ESUT), last
week Monday, returned to school, following a
directive by the school authorities.
Authorities of the university had directed the
lecturers to resume classes on December 2 and
commence preparations for the 2012/2013 second
semester examination.
It was reported that at the Enugu and Agbani
campuses of ESUT, students were in their various
departments exchanging pleasantries and checking
the notice boards.
At the faculties of engineering and management
sciences on the Enugu campus, students in their
numbers were copying the second semester
examination timetables pasted on the notice
boards.
The lecturers, on the other hand, held a meeting
with the governing council of the university at the
Agbani campus on the resumption of work.
Addressing the lecturers, Chairman of the council,
Chief ChiloOffiah, appealed to them to sheathe their
sword and return to classes in the interest of the
students.
Offiah thanked the lecturers for attending the
meeting and assured them that the council would
do all it could to ensure the improvement of their
welfare.
The executive members of the ESUT branch of the
ASUU did not, however, attend the meeting.
It was, however, a different situation at the Enugu
campus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN),
as only a few students and lecturers were on
campus. Few lecturers were also found in their
various offices, while the non-academic staff
members were busy working.
Some of the lecturers said they were waiting for
directives from both the school authorities and the
ASUU branch.
A drama took place at the Federal University of
Technology Owerri (FUTO) as the university’s
senate announced the sack of all academic staff on
its payroll with immediate effect for failure to return
to classroom.
The sack order was made known by the Public
Relations Officers (PRO) of the institution,
MrChikeEzenwa, while speaking in Owerri, through
the telephone.
According to him, the senate of the university had
declared all the positions of academic staff in the
institution vacant, adding that they would be
advertised soon.
The senate council, he explained, had already
compiled the list of vacant positions in the school,
adding that whoever was willing to resume would
be adequately protected.
But the FUTO branch of ASUU has said any attempt
to break their ranks would be strongly resisted. This
was contained in a communiqué issued at the end o
their meeting held last week and signed by both the
Chairman and Secretary, DrIkennaNwachukwu and
Dr F.M. Eke, respectively.
The communiqué urged members to ignore the
resumption notice by FUTO management, adding
that the branch would not engage in any academic
activities until the Federal Government committed
itself to implementing the ASUU-FGN agreement.
In another development, the authorities of the
University of Jos (UNIJOS) have directed all
academic staff to commence work with immediate
effect, while the branch chairman of ASUU said the
union would not succumb to threat and intimidation.
The authorities of the university, in a circular signed
by the registrar/secretary to the council,
MrJilliDandam, stated that all academic staff of the
university shall return to their various departments,
units and directorates and commence work
immediately.
It added that daily compliance register would be
kept by all heads of department for all academic
staff, while it further directed every head of
department to publish lecture time-table for all
academic programmes by today.
However, the branch chairman of ASUU,
DrJangkamWannang, said the union would not
succumb to threat to call off its strike, adding that
conditions to call off the strike were well spelt out.
He said intimidation and harassment of any form
would not force the union to call off the strike.
“We will not succumb to threat; the strike is for the
improvement of the system. The threat and
intimidation by both the government and governing
council of a university will rather complicate the
problem than addressing it,” he said.
Also lecturers at the Gombe State University are yet
to resume classes, despite the directive to do so by
the government. Branch Chairman of ASUU, Mallam
Umar Adamu, confirmed that none of the lecturers
of the university had resumed work. Adamu said the
union would meet today to decide on the strike.
The premises of the university was, however, calm
as security operatives were seen keeping vigilance
at the main gate.
But the academic staff of Federal University in
Kashere, also in Gombe State, did not join the
strike.
But appeals to ASUU to end thje strike continue to
mount as the National Parent-Teacher-Association
of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has asked the striking teachers
to see the extension of the resumption deadline as
a sign of goodwill from the Federal Government.
The NAPTAN North Central Coordinator,
AlhajiDanladiAliyu, said the extension showed that
the government was committed to ending the
strike. Aliyu said, “I am pleading with both parties
not to see this issue as a war that must be won or
lost as both are working in the interest of moving
the nation forward.
“ASUU should use this deadline extension to
resume duties, while we also urge the Federal
Government not to come down hard on them,” he
said.

ASUU Promises to End Strike as FG Shifts
Ground
The hope of a final resolution of the prolonged
impasse in the ongoing strike by members of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was
raised Wednesday by the ASUU Chairman,
University of Ibadan branch, Dr Segun Ajiboye
when he stated that the strike would soon come to
end especially as the federal government has
begun to shift grounds.
He did not give details and the extent of ground
shifting the federal government had done.
The federal government had earlier given the
resume-or-be-sacked ultimatum which should have
ended yesterday, but later extended it to December
9.
Some universities have either resumed or
announced their resumption dates, even as some
others like University of Jos have vowed to
continue the strike.
Ajiboye dropped the hint in Ibadan yesterday during
the session of tributes organised to honour the late
Professor Festus Iyayi, who was killed in a motor
accident while on his way to attend a meeting on
how to resolve the ASUU crisis.
Ajiboye noted that the ceremony organised by by
ASUU was not only to mourn Iyayi but also to
mobilise ASUU members towards pursuing the
struggle to its logical conclusion.
The academic community in the university staged
a candle light procession in honour of the late
former National President of ASUU.
The ASUU members, including the Vice-Chancellor
of the university, Professor Isaac Adewole, and
some other principal officers, adorned in black
gowns, commenced the procession at the ASUU
secretariat, Mellanby Hall of the school and
marched to the Faculty of Arts enroute Kenneth
Dike Road with solidarity songs rendered in low
mournful tone.
In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac
Adewole, said the dreams of Iyayi should be made
to come true.
Adewole commended the courage and the
resilience of Iyayi, describing him as a gentleman
who was committed to not only the development of
education in Nigeria but towards good living of
Nigerians.
In his tribute, a former National President of ASUU,
Professor Sola Olukunle, described Iyayi as a man
of peace whose peace mission is also based on
reasonable principles, therefore it would be a great
disservice if the current struggle is subdued and
disallowed to reach its logical conclusion as
intended by the late leader.
Speaker after speaker including the Dean of Faculty
of Arts, Professor Remi Raji, Dr Femi Aborisade,
Prof. Francis Egbokhare and Professor John Anetor
described the death Iyayi as unfortunate, and
needless, noting that if the government had
honoured the agreement it reached with ASUU, the
death would have been avoided.
In the same way, the academic and civil society
communities in Benin City organised a procession
march in Iyayi’s honour.
During the procession, members of UNIBEN branch
of ASUU were joined by hundreds of their
colleagues from University of Ilorin, Ambrose Alli
University, Ekpoma (AAU), Delta State University
(DELSU), Abraka, etc.
Other groups also represent included Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), Conference of Non-Governmental
Organisations (CONGOS), Joint Action Front (JAF),
the Parents Consultative Association of Nigerian
Universities (PCANU).
The march, which began at the Faculty of Arts and.
Social Sciences, University of Benin at about
10a.m., took a long walk of about five kilometres to
the residence of the late Professor of Business
Administration, Bello Street, off Benin/Lagos
expressway.
Addressing the people at the residence of the late
former Chairman of ASUU, Chairman of UNIBEN
ASSU, Dr. Anthony Monye-Emina, described Iyayi as
one of Nigeria's number one heroes that have
fallen, and a hero of ASUU struggles.
He said the march was the beginning of activities to
mark the exit of the late Professor.
He recalled that the journey that claimed the life of
Iyayi, began on a pleasant note that morning with
Iyayi relieving the last meeting with President
Goodluck Jonathan and how he urged them to show
true commitment to the struggle.
Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, urged ASUU
never to relent in the struggle, but to continue from
where Iyayi left. .
He disclosed that ASUU and Iyayi family members
have mandated him to challenge the "murder" of
Iyayi in the court.
Also addressing the crowd of sympatisers,
Chairman of ASUU, University of Ilorin chapter, Dr.
Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, said the late Iyayi had
cloned many other Iyayis while alive, to carry on
the fight, adding that the only way to ensure that
what Iyayi fought for was not allowed to die with
him is to sustain the struggle.
Other speakers eulogised Iyayi, whom they called a
hero, adding that his death has actually
immortalised him.
Eldest son of Iyayi, Ehidiamen, who received the
mourners on behalf of the family, thanked them for
the support they have given to the family since the
demise of their father.
He was later presented with signed copy of the
condolence register opened by the union.
Speaking on its resolve to continue with the strike,
University of Jos chapter of ASUU said yesterday
that it will not resume lectures until it receives
directives from its national officials to that effect,
adding that it will not go back to class even after
the expiration of the extended deadline given by
the federal government.
The chairman of the ASUU Unijos chapter, Dr David
Jangkam said majority of the 1012 union members
at Unijos were not bothered by federal
government's sack threats.
Jangkam said, “University of Jos chapter, wants to
categorically state that we cannot be cowed or
perturbed by the threat from the Minister of
Education and other agents of government; we
remain resolute and committed to the struggle and
shall not waver from the strike until government
does the right thing."
Similarly, the Lagos State University (LASU) chapter
of ASUU, resolved to continue with the strike until
government meets the union’s demands.
The Chairman of LASU branch Adekunle Idris,
described the threat to sack lecturers who refused
to resume work by Wednesday as an outdated
approach to solving issues and a joke.
“I’m sure they will get their professors and doctors
from Alaba or Idumota market. Maybe they will
employ some from India or Cuba to teach the
students,” he said sarcastically.

ASUU strike update: FG reveals it
has now paid N200 billion for
striking Union
Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe has confirmed that
the N200 billion demanded by the Academic
Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been paid.
The money was paid into an account with the
CBN and is meant for renewal of infrastructure
facilities in public universities in the country,
Okupe explained.
The move which was announced earlier today
was just in time before the expiration of the
December 4 ultimatum given by the Federal
Government to members ASUU who were told to
resume classes or be sacked.
Okupe paid the payments public on the Channels
Television programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ adding
that everything that needed to be done has been
done and whether the strike would be called off
or not now lies in the hands of the leadership of
ASUU.
PM News reports:
He said that most of the demands of the
Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities,
ASUU, have been agreed upon at the 13-hour
meeting they had with the President in October.
“At the end of that meeting, the Government
proposed that everything that has been agreed
should be put in a memorandum of agreement
and that the two parties should sign, but the
leadership of ASUU declined and said instead of
that, they would rather have a letter of comfort
expressing everything that has been resolved
therein, and that will suffice for them.”
According to him, the Government agreed to
their request and issued the said letter based on
the agreement that the strike would be called off
within 7 days. However, this did not happen “in
spite of the fact that the ASUU leadership
presented the letter of comfort to its chapters
nationwide and a clear majority of them
endorsed the resolutions reached and actually
were more inclined towards calling off the
strike.”
Dr. Okupe stressed that the attitude of the ASUU
leadership showed that the seed of discord and
evidence of bad faith already existed. “It is
unfortunate that somebody died but
notwithstanding, that cannot be a justification
for delaying the implementation of an
agreement for 21 or more days.
Reading from the ‘Letter of Comfort’ issued by
the Federal Government in agreement with the
leadership of ASUU, the government agreed that
Nigerian universities must be revitalized for
effective service delivery, all the provisions in
the agreement and MoU for the revitalization
shall be fully implemented as captured in the
2012 Needs Assessment and the Federal
Government shall mobilize resource towards this
goal.
“Based on this, it was also agreed that a sum of
N1.3 trillion shall be made available to ASUU
over the next six years starting from December
2013 with (the sum of) N200 billion. The FGN
therefore request that the ASUU shall within 7
days call off its 4 month strike.”
Contrary to the Federal Government’s
expectation that ASUU would call off the strike,
ASUU in another document said that they “could
not call off the strike because of certain
uncertainties or gaps that are evident in the
government’s report.”
Okupe asked fiercely, “what are these
uncertainties? He accused ASUU of turning
around to again state four new conditions for the
strike to be called off. They demanded that the
agreed N200 billion should be deposited in an
account at the Central Bank within 2 weeks,
while the negotiation of the 2009 agreement
should be included in the final document.
The ASUU, according to Okupe also demanded
that a non-victimization clause should be
included as well as a new MoU signed by the
Attorney-General.
Dismissing their requests, he said a demand for
a memorandum is a waste of people’s time
because this is ideally what should follow any
agreement made between two parties in the first
place, and that by International Labour Laws
which Nigeria is guided by, no one is expected to
be victimized for going on strike.
He also said that ASUU, asking that the MoU with
Federal Government should be signed by the
Attorney-General “does not make sense”
because anyone of high standing in government
can sign for it. He added that an account has
already been opened for the N200 billion they
are requesting for in the Central Bank.
Okupe added that the government has shown
commitment by meeting with the leadership of
ASUU, and agreeing to its demands, considering
that previous governments did not give them
such an opportunity to sit down and discuss. He
called on ASUU to do the right thing for the
benefit of the nation.
“The Government cannot be seen to be
contesting with any sector of the economy or the
country. This President is interested in moving
Nigeria forward through a very well-articulated
transformation agenda.”

ASUU strike: UNIPORT
announces resumption
date
in Main Home Page Slider, News
Management of the
University of Port Harcourt,
UNIPORT, has announced
December 9th as resumption
date for academic activities in the
institution.
The management made the
announcement after an extra-ordinary
Senate meeting held on Tuesday.
Deputy Registrar, Information, of the
University, Dr. William Wordi told
DailyPost that the management of the
institution found it worthy to end the 5-
month old strike in the interest of the
students.
Wordi said the Senate also decided to pay
the backlog of salary areas of lecturers
who resumed work on the announced
date.
Meanwhile, the UNIPORT chapter of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, said there is no going back on the
strike until the Federal Government meets
all their demands.
Chairman of ASUU in the University, Prof.
Anthonia Okerengwo said the students
would be wasting their time if they
resumed on the stipulated date.
She said the Union was not moved by
Federal Government’s threat to sack
lecturers who refused to resume to work.

ASUU STRIKE: FG bows, extends
deadline to Dec 9
ABUJA —The Federal Government, yesterday,
reviewed the seven-day ultimatum given to striking
university lecturers to resume today or be sacked
as it now gave them till Monday, December 9. This
came as most members of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities remained adamant and vowed
to continue with the strike until their demands were
met.
ASUU president, Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge has also
assured that once the government opens the bank
account with N200 billion as requested by the union,
the strike would be suspended.
Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike,
who announced the shift in the date for the
compulsory resumption of Federal Universities to
Monday, December 9, said it was as a mark of
respect for the former National President of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU,
Professor Festus Iyayi, who died in an auto accident
on his way to a National Executive Committee
meeting of ASUU.
Speaking in Abuja, yesterday, Mr Wike said that the
family of the late Professor Iyayi officially informed
the ministry of the burial rites for the late ASUU
President through the National Universities
Commission, NUC, on Monday, hence the shift in
the mandatory resumption date.
He said that the Federal Government will fully
participate in the burial rites of the former ASUU
President.
According to a statement by the minister’s Special
Assistant, Simeon Nwakaudu: “The decision to shift
the date of the compulsory resumption of Federal
Universities for academic activities has been taken
as a result of the respect we have for the former
ASUU President”.
Wike stated that the Federal Government took the
decision to re-open the universities in the interest of
Nigerians and not to engender any form of show-
down with ASUU.
He said Nigerians must appreciate the fact that the
pro-chancellors and chairmen of the Federal
Universities Governing Councils took the decision to
re-open the schools, pointing out that the Federal
Government’s directive was to the vice-chancellors
who are expected to comply with the directive of
the pro-chancellors.
The minister also said that the Federal Government
has already opened a dedicated account for the
revival of infrastructure in the universities, while
the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Education has signed the resolution that the Federal
Government will commit N1.3trillion into the revival
of infrastructure in the universities.
He stated that despite the repeated
misrepresentation of facts on the 2009 FGN-ASUU
agreement, the Federal Government had
implemented over 80 per cent of the issues
contained in the document, with only the payment
of earned allowances and revitalisation of
infrastructure pending.
Complying lecturers to get salary arrears
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission, NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, who
briefed journalists in Abuja, yesterday, said the
Federal Government was ready to pay the four-
month salary arrears owed academic staff who
returns to work.
According to him: “Councils have been directed to
shift the resumption date to December 9. The new
deadline, has already been communicated to the
Pro-Chancellors Tuesday (yesterday) morning.
“The Federal Government as an employer of labour
cannot just fold its arms while the institutions
remain shut and its clients — the students —
continue to suffer.
“You cannot pay someone who has failed to resume
work. You are on strike and you want to be paid.
What if some have already left the system? Some
of our very bright lecturers may have got jobs
elsewhere already.”
Okojie noted that “the resumption order does not
necessarily mean students would commence
academic activities immediately but the school
environment has to be put back in shape as reptiles
may have taken over some places, and the Senate
of each institution has to revisit the academic
calendar. Students would be expected to resume
one or two weeks after the December 9 resumption
deadline,”.
Okojie while responding to several issues raised by
ASUU, insisted that it was a general consensus at
the November 4, 2013 meeting with the President to
have the Permanent Secretary of the Education
Ministry sign the resolutions reached after the
meeting.
Okojie stressed that the issue of the inclusion of a
non-victimization clause as now demanded by
ASUU did not even come up at all during and after
the meeting.
“Jega and Awuzie are past ASUU chairmen. Are they
not holding good positions in Nigeria today? Why
would anyone victimize someone for exercising his
right? If anyone would do such a thing, not the
Jonathan government. In fact the mood that day did
not reflect such, we were all smiles and hugs. After
that meeting we were all hopeful that was the end
of the crises,” he said.
He wondered why ASUU would return three weeks
later, after it had failed to get back to government
on November 8 as agreed, and demand addition of
new clauses.
He said: “The 2009 Agreement stipulates that any
party that wants a re-negotiation should inform the
Ministry of Labour. If ASUU had said they would
resume, but the outstanding issues must be
addressed, government would have no choice,”.
On the N200 billion revitalization fund which ASUU
is demanding should be disbursed within two
weeks, Okojie diclosed that the money has been
deposited in an account in the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
“The money cannot, however, be disbursed just
anyhow because they are meant for capital
projects”, he said.
Okojie again appealed to the striking union to return
to work in the interest of students who he described
as the victims.
“One of the universities in Uganda where our
children are enrolling, neigbouring countries do not
even accept their degrees. Our children are going to
schools with poorer degrees,” he lamented.
ASUU gives condition for strike suspension
Meanwhile, the President of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge,
yesterday, gave conditions for the suspension of the
six month old strike. Fagge who spoke on Channels
Television, yesterday morning, said once
government opens the bank account with N200
billion, requested by the union, the strike would be
suspended.
He said “once that is done, and the committee that
is supposed to disburse the funds starts working,
our members will have no reason not to suspend
the strike action”. Dr. Faggie said the union insists
on documentation.
He asked: “Why won’t government make available
this money so that we know the money is there and
the universities commence drawing from this
money to address the problem of decay in
infrastructure, teaching and research facilities?
When that is done, our members will suspend the
strike.”
The ASUU president dismissed insinuations in
some quarters that the union had been split. On
suggestions in some government quarters that
ASUU was being influenced by opposition parties,
Dr. Fagge said “ASUU is a union of cerebral
intellectuals”. He said the union is not influenced
by religion, or ethnicity, saying however that
members of the union are free to associate with
any political party of their choice.
UNICAL resumes today
The University of Calabar has announced that the
university resumes today for academic activities
and directed all students who did not finish their
registration to do so immediately.
But Chairman of Academic Staff Union of
Universities, Unical chapter, Dr. James Ekprinya has
warned parents that the university is still on strike
and that any one that releases his ward is doing
that at his peril.
The university in a press release by the Deputy
Registrar, Academic division, Mr. Mike Monity stated
that, “Normal Academic/Allied activities will resume
tomorrow, the December 4, 2013 at the University
of Calabar.
Monity in a release said the resumption was the
decision reached at an emergency meeting of
senate held at the senate chambers of the
Institution.
It further stated that “the decision is in compliance
with the directive issued by the Minister of
Education” and that details of the revised university
calendar would be disclosed in due course.
It also advised students with pending activities like
second semester registration, Final year and Post
Graduate research projects to start immediately as
the school works out time table for lectures.
The ASUU chairman, Dr. Ekpirinya said that the
congress rose from its congress with “a strong
resolve to continue the strike until the agreements
are implemented to the letter.
“We did not close school, we will not re-open it. We
warn parents that any one who decides to send his
or her ward to school is doing so at his or her peril.”
Iyayi: UNIBEN ASUU vows to continue strike
University of Benin chapter of ASUU, yesterday,
vowed to continue the current strike action and
admonished President Goodluck Jonathan to
embrace dialogue with the union rather than
threats.
Meanwhile, no sign of resumption of academic
activities at the university yesterday, despite the
announcement by the university authorities
Monday, calling on students and academic staff to
resume duties.
When Vanguard visited the university, it was
observed that registers were opened as directed by
the Federal Government but none of the academic
staff were sighted on campus. Rather members of
the ASUU and students were observed preparing for
the burial of the late former President of the union,
Professor Festus Iyayi which is scheduled for this
weekend.
Some of the students who spoke to Vanguard,
condemned the Federal Government’s order that the
ASUU should resume duties or risk sack, just as
they urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the
supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom
Nwike, whom they described as a “sycophant”.
Addressing journalists yesterday, chairman of the
UNIBEN Chapter of the ASUU, Dr Anthony Monye-
Emina who was recently involved in the accident
that led to the death of ProfessorIyayi, advised
parents to inform their children to stay at home,
insisting that the strike action will not be called off
until the Federal Government implements the
agreements.
According to him: “We want to advise parents not to
send their children back to campus in the event of
any announcement of resumption of classes by the
university administration in line with the
supervisory Minister’s directive. The union has not
called off the strike. The President should continue
on the path of honour to dialogue with the union as
this is the only way to find an immediate and
lasting solution to the crisis in the university
system.”
UNIJOS ASUU waits for directives
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),
UNIJOS, chapter said, yesterday, that classes would
only resume in the institution if directed by the
national body.
The chapter Chairman, Dr David Jangdam told the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the
lecturers were waiting for directives from the nation
body before the five-month strike could be called
off.
“Classes will only resume if directed by the national
body,” he said. Jangdam told NAN that the decision
of the national body was final and binding on all
local chapters. A correspondent of NAN, who visited
both the temporary and permanent sites of the
university in Jos reports that they were deserted.
NAN further reports that the only visible presence
was those of security personnel at the various entry
and exit points. Jangdam also rejected suggestions
that the lecturers had not been fair to university
education in the country. “Nigerians should ask the
leaders why the educational sector is usually the
least in their priorities,” he said.
He, however, said that the union on Monday met
with the institutions Student Union Government
(SUG), at their instance to explain its position on the
continued strike.
The SUG President, Mr Ajik Magaji told NAN that he
would not comment on the outcome of the meeting
for now. He described the strike by ASUU as a huge
threat to national security while blaming the Federal
Government for reneging on agreements.
Magaji lamented that the strike had caused the
students a whole session. “In UNIJOS, for instance,
we lost a complete session to strikes; some of our
classmates in other schools have graduated and we
are still here,” he said.
ASUU -UNAAB warns members against signing
register
The University of Agriculture Abeokuta chapter of
ASUU has vowed not to be cowed by the sack
threat by the Federal Government, warning its
members against signing the register by the
University.
Addressing newsmen, yesterday, at the COPLANT
auditorium of the University, the chairperson for
ASUU -UNAAB, Dr. Biodun Badmus said the Union
would not resume as directed by the Federal
Government.
Badmus who was flanked by some past leaders of
the union in the university advised the Federal
Government to implement the agreement made
with the Union for the sake of the students in the
country.
Speaking on the plans by the union against any
member that signs the register, Dr. Badmus said
that the union would not hesitate to discipline any
member of the Union who signs back to work
register.
He said “ Of course, even in the days of Jesus
Christ there are Judases, it is envisaged and the
union has its practices and code of conduct and
there are laid down procedures to thrash out such
areas should anybody sign back to work”.
While proffering solution to the problem, the Union
leader said “the ball is in the court of the Federal
Government, ASUU has not closed its doors to
dialogue. We appeal to the Federal Government to
do what is needful. “If any meeting should be
called, the National officers of ASUU are ready to
meet the government to resolve the issue on
ground”.

We Have Met ASUU Demands- FG
on december 03, 2013 at 5:32 pm in news
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA – THE presidency Tuesday said that the
Federal Government has met with demands of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and
there was no need to maintain the strike, just as it
stressed that the agreement was reached sequel to
the last meeting held between Federal Government
and ASUU.
According to the Presidency, the administration
believes that with the agreement and the result of
the votes across the campuses, ASUU has no reason
for further sustenance of the strike, even as it called
on the Union to comply with the call on them to
resume work without further delay.
This is coming as the ultimatum issued to ASUU
lapses today.
Speaking in Abuja during an interactive session
with leaders of the National Association of Nigerian
Students, NANS, Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Youth and Students’ Matters, Comrade
Jude Imagwe who noted that a larger membership
of ASUU campus chapters had voted for the
immediate call-off of the strike, stressed that the
directive given by the government was not targeted
to threaten the ASUU leadership, but designed to
show government’s commitment towards ensuring
that all university students return to school.
According to him, ASUU leaders must work in line
with the directives by ensuring that all students get
back to the campus as the government would
ensure a water-tight security on the campuses,
adding, “The Nigerian public should be informed
that the government has met all the promises they
made on this ASUU issue. If they have not agreed,
there was no reason for them to have said they
would meet their members and get back . It means
there was an agreement that was reached.
“The Minister of Education announced that lecturers
should resume, it was not in anyway targeted at
threatening or compelling the leadership of ASUU to
go back to school.”
In his remarks, NANS president, Comrade Yinka who
maintained tha its association was neutral, said that
it supports a just cause, adding that the association
was standing by the government because it was
working in line with its desire which was for all
schools to reope

As from now on, here are the NEW
UNIVERSITIES LECTURERS
* Nyesom Wike to teach (Political Science)
* Goodluck Jonathan to teach (Zoology)
* Anyim Pius Anyim (Local Govt Studies)...
* Patience Jonathan, (English/Maths) * Ngozi Iweala
(Economics)
* Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (Accounting)
* Julius Okojie(NUC), (Edu Admin/ Mgt)
* Reuben Abati (Mass Communications)
* Deizani Alison-Mudueke (Chemical
Engineering/ Petroleum Studies) * Stella Odua
(Transport Studies)
* David Mark, (Military Studies)
* Labaran Maku (Public Administration)
* More lecturers to be employed as time
goes
on. All Students are to resume to EAGLE
SQUARE
ABUJA before 4th Dec. 2013. Note: any student d@
fail 2 resum will b dismiss.

FG Breaks ASUU Ranks, As
FUTO, ESUT, Unijos End
Strike
With some universities welcoming back
lecturers and students despite the continued
stance of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) that the strike is still on,
the federal government has succeeded in
breaking the ranks of the lecturers.
The government had, through the acting
minister of education, Nyesom Wike, ordered
universities to reopen and threatened to sack
any lecturer that failed to report to work.
LEADERSHIP checks showed that the
authorities of the University of Jos have
directed lecturers to resume work
immediately. The university’s registrar, Jilli
Dandam, issued a statement, which reads in
part: “The Pro Chancellor and Chairman of
Council on behalf of the Governing Council
has directed
that all academic staff of the University of
Jos should return to their various
departments, units and commence work
immediately. Every head of department
should publish lecture time-table for all
academic programmes immediately.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported
that students and lecturers of the Enugu
State University of Science and Technology
(ESUT) on Monday returned to school
following a directive by the school
authorities.
The NAN correspondent who monitored the
situation at the Enugu and Agbani campuses
of the university reported that the students
were in their various departments
exchanging pleasantries and checking the
notice boards while the lecturers held a
meeting with the governing council of the
university at the Agbani campus.
Similarly, when our correspondent visited the
Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo
State, the university had issued a directive
for lecturers and students to return to
classes.
The directive was contained in a press
statement issued to journalists yesterday
and signed by the registrar and secretary to
the council of the school, Orje Ishghnor.
According to the statement, the school had
called off the strike based on the directive of
the federal government.
Meanwhile the FUTO chapter of ASUU told
the students to disregard the resumption
notice by the school management, stating
that its members would not go back to the
class until their agreement between the
federal government is met. This was
contained in a communiqué issued to
journalists and signed by the state chairman,
Dr Ikenna Nwachukwu, and secretary, Dr F.M.
Dike, yesterday in Owerri.
Also, lecturers of the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, and Osun State University
have refused to report at their duty posts
despite the FG’s directive that they should go
back to work.
The chairman of the OAU chapter of ASUU,
Professor Akinola Adegbola, told our
correspondent at Ile-Ife that the threat by the
federal government to sack lecturers who
refused to resume for work was not new.
According to him, such threat was
experienced during the regime of the late
General Sani Abacha and the resultant effect
is still fresh in the mind of Nigerians.
You can’t sack us, ASUU tells FG
However; ASUU has maintained that FG
cannot sack any of its members because of
the continuing strike. Its national president,
Dr Nasir Fagge, said the union’s insistence
on a validly endorsed memorandum of
understanding (MoU) is because the union
does not trust the government to keep its
promise.
He said the threat by the minister will only
compound the deepening, yet avoidable,
crisis.
Speaking during a press conference
yesterday in Abuja, Fagge said the union’s
demand that the federal government release
N200 billion before the strike is suspended is
not a fresh one.
He said, “If you look at the government’s
paper of November 6, 2013, it states that the
federal government shall provide N200
billion in 2013.”
According to a letter written from the
government to the union and signed by the
permanent secretary, Ministry of Education,
Dr Mac John Nwaobiala, and made available
to journalists by Fagge, the government had
promised to release the sum of N1.3 trillion
in a space of six years.
The first instalment of N200 billion is to be
paid by 2013 and further instalments of N220
billion to be paid in the next five years.
Explaining why ASUU insisted on a valid
endorsed MoU, the ASUU president said,
“The ongoing crisis was exacerbated when
the secretary to the federal government
announced to the public and ASUU that the
2012 memorandum of understanding (a
document authorised by himself) was not
binding on government since it was signed
by a permanent secretary and was therefore
a mere promise and a non-binding piece of
paper.”
Speaking further on the threat to sack
lecturers, he said, “The threat to sack all
lecturers for exercising their right to strike
was made in 1993 and 1996 by the Gen
Babangida and Abacha regimes. It is
unfortunate that close to 20 years of national
life have not taught politicians and their
government the simple lesson that the job of
lecturers is bound by the university statutes,
which stipulate conditions for employment,
promotions and dismissal of lecturers at all
levels.
“There are, at present, in Nigeria over 30,
000 academic staff, each of whom has
certain rights that cannot be pronounced
away by any government or minister. That a
minister of education would pronounce a
threat of mass sack of academic staff is a
tragedy of huge proportion for Nigeria and
Africa.”
He said further, “According to the Needs
Assessment Reports, there are a total of 37,
504 teaching staff across all Nigerian
universities; the majority of the universities
are grossly understaffed; generally speaking,
teaching staff distribution in the country,
both by qualification and by rank, indicates
that Nigeria’s university system is in crisis of
manpower. Instead of having not less than
80 per cent of the academics with Ph.D, only
about 43 per cent are PhD holders.”
Fagge urged Nigerians to prevail on
government to do what is just and noble as
its present approach will only compound the
deepening yet avoidable crisis.

ASUU Strike: Fresh Demands
Do Not Make Sense – Okupe
Senior Special Assistant to
President Goodluck Jonathan on
Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe,
has stated that there is no
reason for the ongoing
industrial action by Nigerian
university lecturers to continue.
He was guest on Channels
Television flagship breakfast
programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’ to
discuss the issues.
Okupe said that from the
Government’s perspective,
everything that needs to be done
has been done and whether the
strike would be called off or not now
lies in the hands of the leadership of
ASUU.
He said that most of the demands
of the Academic Staff Union of
Nigerian Universities, ASUU, have
been agreed upon at the 13-hour
meeting they had with the President
in October.
“At the end of that meeting, the
Government proposed that
everything that has been agreed
should be put in a memorandum of
agreement and that the two parties
should sign, but the leadership of
ASUU declined and said instead of
that, they would rather have a letter
of comfort expressing everything
that has been resolved therein, and
that will suffice for them.”
According to him, the Government
agreed to their request and issued
the said letter based on the
agreement that the strike would be
called off within 7 days. However,
this did not happen “in spite of the
fact that the ASUU leadership
presented the letter of comfort to its
chapters nationwide and a clear
majority of them endorsed the
resolutions reached and actually
were more inclined towards calling
off the strike.”
Dr Okupe stressed that the attitude
of the ASUU leadership showed that
the seed of discord and evidence of
bad faith already existed. “It is
unfortunate that somebody died but
notwithstanding, that cannot be a
justification for delaying the
implementation of an agreement for
21 or more days.
Reading from the ‘Letter of Comfort’
issued by the Federal Government
in agreement with the leadership of
ASUU, the government agreed that
Nigerian universities must be
revitalized for effective service
delivery, all the provisions in the
agreement and MoU for the
revitalization shall be fully
implemented as captured in the
2012 Needs Assessment and the
Federal Government shall mobilize
resource towards this goal.
“Based on this, it was also agreed
that a sum of N1.3 trillion shall be
made available to ASUU over the
next 6 years starting from
December 2013 with (the sum of)
N200 billion. The FGN therefore
request that the ASUU shall within 7
days call off its 4 month strike.”
Contrary to the Federal
Government’s expectation that
ASUU would call off the strike,
ASUU in another document said that
they “could not call off the strike
because of certain uncertainties or
gaps that are evident in the
government’s report.”
Okupe asked fiercely, “what are
these uncertainties? He accused
ASUU of turning around to again
state four new conditions for the
strike to be called off. They
demanded that the agreed N200
billion should be deposited in an
account at the Central Bank within 2
weeks, while the negotiation of the
2009 agreement should be included
in the final document.
The ASUU, according to Okupe also
demanded that a non-victimization
clause should be included as well as
a new MoU signed by the Attorney-
General.
Dismissing their requests, he said a
demand for a memorandum is a
waste of people’s time because this
is ideally what should follow any
agreement made between two
parties in the first place, and that by
International Labour Laws which
Nigeria is guided by, no one is
expected to be victimized for going
on strike.
He also said that ASUU, asking that
the MoU with Federal Government
should be signed by the Attorney-
General “does not make sense”
because anyone of high standing in
Government can sign for it. He
added that an account has already
been opened for the N200 billion
they are requesting for in the
Central Bank.
Okupe added that the government
has shown commitment by meeting
with the leadership of ASUU, and
agreeing to its demands,
considering that previous
governments did not give them
such an opportunity to sit down and
discuss. He called on ASUU to do
the right thing for the benefit of the
nation.
“The Government cannot be seen to
be contesting with any sector of the
economy or the country. This
President is interested in moving
Nigeria forward through a very well-
articulated transformation agenda.”

ASUU dares FG, continues with
strike
on december 02, 2013 at 4:33 pm in news
Despite the threat by the federal government to
sack members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, if it fails to call off the
prolonged strike that has paralysed education in the
country, the union has vowed not to call off the
strike until the federal government meets its
demands.
National President of ASUU, Dr Fagge Isa who
disclosed this while briefing Journalists in Abuja
Monday expressed worry that the strike which was
for the development of the university education has
been politicized
Isa accused the minister of Education Nyesom Wike
of spreading lies and mischief all with the intension
of misleading Nigerians.
Details soon

Goddon32: Congrat 2 al d student uniabuja on ur resumption, i wa once an aspirant bt nw admited 2 unijos, dos who ar old in dis thrend knw me very wel, mr presido afta d fallin of hands by uniabj God later smile on me n i was admited 2 unijos, just want u al 2 tank him 4 me

Good for u bro na GOD hand we dey

ASUU Strike Update: ASUU’s Political
Game and Nigeria’s University
Education
For the average Nigerian, it is always easy for the
opposition political class to mislead him, saying
that Government has done nothing to improve his
living condition. It is the same story for the average
Nigerian Non Governmental Organization. They
thrive on criticising government, no matter how
noble government’s actions are.
When in July 2013, the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, embarked on a nationwide
strike, they naturally got the sympathy of the
ordinary Nigerians, students and non governmental
organizations, NGOs, inclusive. But most Nigerians
failed to consider the fact that they started that
strike without following due process. That is, giving
the Federal Government adequate notice.
As the strike continued, some discerning Nigerians
began to pick holes in the unwholesome practices
of the ASUU National President, Dr Nasir Fagge and
his leadership. All they did was to prolong the
strike, without listening to any word of reason. It
was as if they were struggling to break the record
on the longest lasting strike. Fagge bestrode
negotiation rooms like a despot seeking who to
damage. He was like a blind driver of a cement
laden truck heading for the centre of the market. Of
course, his articulated truck appeared to have lost
control, hence it could no longer be brought under
any form of control.
In essence, ASUU grew beyond the Nigerian State
and its representatives. It is needless to talk about
the overwhelming support from the one-sided
Nigerian Mass Media. They were led like other
members of the society to believe that there was
only one side to the story. Therefore, it looked as if
the Federal Government was fully intimidated by
ASUU negotiators and the media to accept
everything that the lecturers brought to the table.
ASUU brought no compromise to the table, but
ASUU could do no wrong.
The scales fell off the eyes of the students first and
they refused to be deceived by the posturing of
ASUU. The President of National Association of
Nigerian Students, Yinka Gbadebo shouted at the
roof tops, alerting Nigerians of the inordinate game
the ASUU National leadership was playing against
Nigerian University Education system. As expected,
the opposition mobilized its media machine to shut
him up.
Next was a media pressure group, Media
Development Initiative, MDI, which raised alarm on
the unconventional negative techniques adopted by
ASUU to unduly prolong the strike. The Media
Director of MDI, Mr Martins Onyilokwu urged
Nigerians to rise up and challenge ASUU to respond
positively to the good faith shown by the Federal
Government. Of course, opposition paid hirelings
controlling media outlets drowned the group’s
words of reason.
After five months of rigmarole, ASUU has shocked
the entire nation. The National Leadership of the
union has resolved to dishonour the decision
reached by a referendum organised on whether or
not the union should call off the strike. From what
we heard, members voted 80percent to 20percent
to call off the strike. To the dismay of Nigerians, a
few hand-picked ASUU officials loyal to Dr Nasir
Fagge met at his parent university, Bayero
University Kano, where they resolved to take a
decision that was alien to the generality of ASUU
members. That is, give conditions to the Nigerian
government in order to further prolong the strike.
As the issues stand today, ASUU should understand
as Bob Marley sang, you can fool some people
sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the
time. The truth travels slowly, but over time it
overtakes propaganda and false stories. Those who
always propagated the fallacy that ASUU does no
wrong have seen clearly the present situation.
In every conflict situation, those in conflict agree to
make compromises even as they continue fighting.
By January, Syria and her rebels will hit the
negotiating table. It does not mean any of the
parties has been defeated. Agreeing to make
compromises is not a sign of weakness. It is only a
sign of courage. While the Federal Government
continued back down on all its positions, ASUU
remained rigid.
ASUU spurned all entreaties from the all levels of
the Federal Government. President Goodluck
Jonathan got personally involved and an agreement
was reached with ASUU. This agreement was
presented to ASUU members who supported
President Jonathan. Now our brother, Nasir Fagge
and his associates have brought another trick into
this game, to destroy a process that went on
smoothly, with government making all the required
concessions.
Nigerians must begin to question the rationale
behind ASUU’s games. What has ASUU brought to
the table since the negotiations started? What
positive changes should Nigerian students and
parents expect from ASUU members who have been
part of the Academic rot that has bedevilled our
country? Why should ASUU after reaching an
agreement with the President resolve to throw up
fresh issues to destabilise a nation full of
expectations? Is ASUU above the national authority
voted freely by the people to move the nation
forward?
For those who play the Ostrich, they have
conveniently forgotten that Jonathan has developed
the nation’s university sector more than ever
before. Nigeria has twelve new universities up and
running without ASUU’s distractions. Nine of these
universities are in the north. One of them located in
Jigawa State, is close to Kano where ASUU’s
National President, Dr Fagge is plying his trade.
Even though ASUU continued to dance to opposition
tunes, the Federal Government last week released
over N90billion to Universities, Polytechnics and
Colleges of Education for the development of
infrastructure. This has nothing to do with the
agreed N1.2trillion agreed by President Jonathan.
Now to the crux of the matter. The firm decision of
the Jonathan administration to rescue the nation’s
university system by re-opening the schools,
especially the Federal Universities is a welcome
one. Remember, the State Universities have no
business being in this strike, but the usual ASUU
technique of grounding the system by embarking on
sympathy strikes.
As the controversy rages over the propriety or
otherwise of the action of the Federal Government,
Nigerians must be reminded that this is not the first
time a government in West Africa is taking a firm
decision like this. The Ghanaian Government did
some years ago. They disengaged all lecturers and
re-appointed those interested in participating in the
new regime. But those who were re-appointed
signed under-takings not to be involved in any
strikes. Today, our children are running to Ghana,
including the children of ASUU members because
they run a stable system. Nigerians should no
longer tolerate academics that refuse to work, but
insist that they must be paid. Is it not only in
Nigeria that a man will not work, but arm-twist his
employer to pay him. Can a private employee do
same?
Respected American former President, Ronald
Regan in the 1980s sacked all striking air traffic
controllers in the United States of America after
they failed to resume for work at the expiration of
the deadline he gave them. United States of
America and Ghana are two reference points that
are usually on Fagge’s lips. Nobody believed that
Regan would achieve his goal, but he did.
Nigerians should support President Jonathan to re-
position the universities. Those lecturers who prefer
to remain on strike for another year should gladly
leave the system. Now that the Federal Government
has resolved to employ new lecturers, it is in the
best interest of the nation. We need more dedicated
brains in the universities.
Thankfully, some senior academics have
dissociated themselves from ASUU’s leadership
inordinate love for the continuation of the strike. I
happily watched Professor Abiola Awosika, an
international scholar and Dr Adeyemi Daramola and
Dr Pearce, both of the University of Lagos as they
regretted that ASUU National Leadership chose to
walk alone, abandoning a collective path chosen by
majority of their colleagues.
Nasir Fagge and co can only take this regrettable
path, because in our country, labour leaders believe
that they can ride rough on the people and get away
unpunished. In other climes, lecturers who voted
against the continuation of the strike would have
risen up whole-heartedly to bring these strike-
thirsty folks to book. In any case, the Federal
Government has taken the right decision and we
urge President Jonathan to have the political will to
see this line of action to its logical conclusion. We
cannot afford another round of tyrannical love of
strike by Nasir Fagge’s leadership of ASUU. After
all, nobody should be allowed under any guise to
ridicule our President who enjoys the free mandate
of majority of Nigerians. If Fagge thinks otherwise,
he should remove his ASUU clothing and jump into
the political arena, lets see his level of political
acceptance and popularity.
We must not lose sight of the fact that at present
Jonathan is the custodian of our Federal
Universities. ASUU members, though stakeholders,
are only employees who can be hired and fired. The
President may well take the decision to privatise
these schools and there is nothing ASUU members
and their cheer-leaders can do, other than insult him
aimlessly as usual.

Presidency Warns ASUU Against Pushing its
Luck
President Goodluck Jonathan
•Urges compliance with chapters’ resolution
as UniAbuja re-opens
•APC, labour unions fault threat to sack
lecturers
By Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo Damilola
Oyedele
Ahead of the December 4 deadline given by the
federal government to the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) to call off its strike, the
presidency has said the federal government will do
all that is needful to ensure that public universities
are opened by Wednesday.
The statement from the presidency coincided with
the decision by the University of Abuja (UniAbuja)
to comply with the federal government’s directive
to vice-chancellors (VCs) to re-open the
universities.
UniAbuja is one of a few universities that have
defied ASUU in recent weeks. The VCs of Osun and
Ebonyi State Universities ordered the re-opening of
their schools early last week, while the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka is set to resume classes today.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, the
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Public
Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said: “The president will
do the needful to ensure that the universities are
opened on Wednesday. Do you think that the
government is a joker? Do you think that the
government will say something it does not mean?”
The presidency also accused ASUU leadership of
refusing to obey the resolution of the chapters of
the unions, saying the ASUU leadership had refused
to accede to the wishes of 42 of its 61 chapters
nationwide, who voted in favour of the agreement
reached with the president to call off the strike.
“Instead, in a surprise volte face, the union
presented government again with a new set of
demands and considerations outside the terms
agreed at the presidential intervention,” Okupe
said.
The presidential aide accused the ASUU leadership
of not taking its responsibility seriously by wasting
seven days before scheduling a meeting.
“When the meeting eventually held, the leadership
decided to thwart and undemocratically override
the expressed will of a majority of its chapters to
call off the strike.
“This action is contrary to the established practice
and procedure of any democratic labour institution,
which ASUU is expected to be,” Okupe charged.
He observed that when the federal government
“had reached an agreement with ASUU to make
available N100 billion for the provision of
infrastructure of 61 universities covered in the
NEEDS assessment report, with a further
commitment of N200 billion over the next two
years, and N40 billion of the N90 billion earned
allowances demanded by the lecturers, one would
have expected them to reconsider their stand.”
“This was despite the fact that the ASUU leadership
in the meeting with President Jonathan curiously
failed to articulate the basis of the N90 billion
demanded as earned allowances, which has been
on the table since 2009,” he said.
Accordingly, Okupe said it had become crystal clear
that the federal government had shown good faith
and commendable commitment by acceding to
most of the demands of ASUU.
“This ordinarily ought to be a thing of pride and an
outstanding achievement for ASUU having been
able to secure these unprecedented concessions
as a direct benefit of the prolonged and painful five-
month strike
“However, the negative disposition of the ASUU
leadership is unarguably a pre-conceived and
calculated treacherous plot pointedly intended to
undermine the presidency and subvert the Federal
Government of Nigeria,” Okupe said.
The president’s aide was of the opinion that ASUU’s
leadership, by its action, has a political motive,
adding, “This is clearly a hallmark of a leadership
that is determined to employ subterfuge in an
attempt to hold government, students, their parents
and other stakeholders to ransom in a reckless and
irresponsible display of insensitivity, lawlessness
and absolute lack of patriotism and even the fear of
God.
“Unfortunately, all this is perpetuated using
unsuspecting but otherwise loyal, patriotic and
responsible members of ASUU whose families are
also sad victims of this reprehensible and callous
attitude of their leadership.
“From all indications therefore, and other
information available to government, it has become
obvious that this is no longer an altruistic strike
borne out of good intentions and aimed at
improving the welfare of students and staff of the
universities and the standards of our educational
institutions.
“Rather it is an evil programme motivated by
selfish political interests and motivations within the
polity.”
Okupe, who made references to the sack of
recalcitrant air traffic controllers by the late US
President Ronald Reagan in August1981, said: “It is
also pertinent to note that the new demands of the
ASUU leadership unwittingly question the integrity
of Mr. President.
“However, for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to
state without equivocation that contrary to
expressed fears, President Jonathan is widely
known to be a God-fearing individual who has
consistently honoured his word and commitment to
the Nigerian people.
“He is not such a person as to single out anyone for
selective punishment neither will he make anyone
a scapegoat. Having said this, it is delightful and
very gratifying to note that many reasonable and
patriotic lecturers in several universities have
decided to comply with the order of government
and are ready to return to classes on or before the
December 4 deadline.
“We salute their courage, commitment to their
calling and loyalty to their nation. These are indeed
the true patriots and the national heroes of this
prolonged and painful struggle.
“We want to assure them that the government will
take every step to protect them in their effort to
comply with the government directives and their
desire to discharge their lawful duties to the
suffering Nigerian students, our universities and our
dear country.”
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
yesterday deplored the federal government's sack
threat issued against striking university teachers in
a bid to force them to end their strike.
The party said the resort to such military-era tactics
reflects the poverty of ideas on the part of
government, to resolve the prolonged ASUU strike.
In a statement issued by its interim National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party
in particular criticised the supervising Minister of
Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, for the way he talked
down on the striking teachers, while issuing the ill-
advised, go-back-to-work-or-be-sacked threat.
APC said ASUU was right in demanding certain
benchmarks, including the non-victimisation clause
and the need for a senior government official, like
the Attorney-General of the Federation, to sign the
agreement, before calling off its strike, in view of
the fact that the federal government has a history
of reneging on its agreements.
“Wike's language was crude, his presentation was
rude and his threat was demeaning and counter-
productive. We believe his lack of finesse and the
inability to think out of the box in handling the
whole strike issue will not bode well for a quick
resolution of the crisis.
“We also disagree with the minister's inference that
the lecturers should automatically call off the strike
because the president intervened and sat for long
hours with them. It is this unnecessary deification
of a democratically-elected president that has
almost turned this president into an emperor.
“What is the big deal in President Jonathan sitting
with ASUU members, his former colleagues for that
matter? What is a president elected to do if not to
solve problems?” it queried.
APC said it was unfortunate that Wike was
threatening to sack university teachers at a time
there is a shortfall of 60,000 lecturers in Nigerian
universities, adding that the threat itself had shown
that the federal government does not understand
the enormity of the problems facing public
universities in particular and the education sector in
general.
On its part, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has
described as “hasty” the ultimatum issued to the
striking members of ASUU by the federal
government, adding that the announcement was
not properly ruminated over.
The acting Secretary General of the congress, Mr.
Chris Uyot, in a telephone conversation with
THISDAY yesterday said Wike should have
considered the ongoing efforts put into resolving
the crisis by the president.
“The minister should have thought the issue
through before making the announcement. He was
hasty because considering an issue as serious as
the ASUU strike, the efforts which Mr. President has
put in meeting the ASUU leadership, and the offer
that was made to ASUU, if all those were taken into
consideration, the minister would not have said so,”
he said.
“The offer currently before ASUU was as a result of
that discussion. When you have an offer, there is
supposed to be a counter-offer or not. If there is a
counter offer, it is possible to sit down and talk
about it again, or simply listen to it. That is the
process of industrial relations,” Uyot added.
When reminded that the minister might have acted
on the directives of the president, the labour leader
said: “I am not here to speak for the movement, but
the minister made the statement. He should have
allowed the process to be consummated. The other
party presented a counter-offer and you just go to
the press. But I believe strongly that the minister is
lying.”
When reminded that NLC had described the new
offer made by the federal government following the
November 4 meeting as acceptable, Uyot clarified
that while the NLC might have found it acceptable,
it was not in the place of the movement to accept
the offer, but the place of ASUU.
He, however, acknowledged that the November 4
meeting was the most meaningful meeting
between the federal government and ASUU since
signing the agreement in 2009.
In the same vein, the former President General of
the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Peter Esele,
said the ultimatum issued by the federal
government had further widened the divide towards
resolving the impasse, which entered its sixth
month yesterday.
Esele, in a telephone conversation, said there would
have been a better way to go around the new offer
to ensure that any misgiving ASUU has, are
factored in.
“But the Office of the President should also be
respected. If the president has spent 13 hours, we
should also try and see how to give him the benefit
of the doubt. But the ultimatum has further widened
the gap because it is like we are in a military era.
“Sometimes, we personalise issues, even the way
Wike communicated the information, you could see
his person showing in the whole thing,” Esele said.
Meanwhile, following the directive of the federal
government on the re-opened universities,
UniAbuja has opened for students to resume their
studies.
Speaking with THISDAY, the Director of Public
Relations of the institution, Mallam Waziri Garba,
said the students had been instructed to resume
since from yesterday.
He was however not sure whether lecturers would
be available or not, stating: “We would have to wait
and see.”

FORTY eight hours to the deadline given by the
Federal Government to striking university lecturers to
resume classes or be sacked, the union has remained
adamant, …
Don’t send students back to campuses, ASUU
begs Parents

We didn’t give ASUU ultimatum –
Jonathan
on november 30, 2013 at 8:01 pm in news
By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
President Goodluck Jonathan has weekend, said his
government did not give the Academic Staff Union
of Universities, ASUU, an ultimatum to resume work
or be sacked.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the expanded
caucus meeting of the Bayelsa State Peoples
Democratic Party held at Government House,
Yenagoa, the President said, the Supervising
Minister of Education only passed on the decision
of the Committee of Vice Chancellors.
“We didn’t give them ultimatum; it was the
Committee of Vice Chancellors that took that
decision. The Supervising Minister of Education only
passed on the decision.”
Jonathan also said the strike embarked upon by the
ASUU was no longer a trade dispute , but a
subversive action.
Jonathan
He said, “What ASUU is doing is no longer trade
union. I have intervened in other labour issues
before now, once I invite them they respond and
after the meeting they take decision and call off the
strike.
“At times we don’t even give them a long
notice,unlike, in the case of ASUU that was given
four days notice before the meeting. As you are
meeting to resolve trade disputes, you expect the
trade unions to get their officials ready.
“What was expected having met with the highest
authorities in the land for long hours, was for ASUU
to immediately issue statement within 12 or latest
24 hours , to state their position whether they were
accepting government’s offer or not. And if they are
not accepting they should state the reason for that.”
“But despite the fact that I had the longest meeting
with ASUU in my political history, we did not start
that meeting until around 2:00pm and the meeting
ended the next day in the early hours. As far as the
government of Nigeria was concerned, all the
critical people that should be in a meeting were
there, so what else do they want?
“After that they didn’t meet until one week, despite
the fact that you met with the highest authority. It
was unfortunate one of them, Prof. Iyayi died.
“The way ASUU has conducted the matter shows
they are extreme and when Iyayi died, they now
said the strike was now indefinite, our children have
been at home for over five months.”

ASUU Strike 2013 Update:
Lecturers Mock Nigerian
Government After
Ultimatum
Lecturers with the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU), which has been on strike for
months, described the Nigerian government’s Dec.
4 ultimatum as foolish and a “joke.”
The government said that lecturers who do not
resume teaching by that date will be removed. The
move came as the Inspector General of Police,
Mohammed Abubakar, said his office will increase
the number police officers at each campus in the
coming days.
“This is designed to help secure life and property in
the Ivory Towers and provide enabling environment
for lecturers, students, academic and non-academic
staff to go about their lawful businesses without let
or hindrance,” reads a statement from his office,
according to AllAfrica.
But Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, the head of the
University of Lagos’ branch of the ASUU, told
the Premium Times that threats won’t work.
“Our reaction is simple. Let us just wait for the
seven days to come around,” he said. “What
government has just done shows that they were not
committed in the offer they made with the union
that had the Trade Union Congress President and
the Minister of Labour in attendance.”
“We are not going to fall to that blackmail. Now,
which one is better: government acceding to our
demands or issuing out threats?”
Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, with the University of Lagos,
echoed Ogbinaka’s statement, saying the move is a
“a glorified joke and laughable.”
The ASUU walked out in July, claiming the
government would not implement a 2009 deal that
would improve lecturers’ welfare and upgrade
facilities at campuses.
But the strike has left hundreds of thousands of
students across Nigeria without classes–essentially
losing a semester.
On Thursday, Nigerian Education Minister Ezenwo
Nyesom Wike said he was frustrated because the
ASUU has made new demands after meeting with
the government three weeks ago.
“As a responsible government we cannot allow the
continuous closure of our public universities for this
length of time, as this poses a danger to the
education system, the future of our youths and
national development” said Wike, according to the
AFP news agency.
He said the universities need to reopen
immediately, adding that “any academic staff who
fails to resume on or before December 4, 2013,
automatically ceases to be a staff of the
institution.”
ASUU National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu said
the Dec. 4 ultimatum is a sign of desperation, and
he added that the threat won’t keep the ASUU from
striking.
“It is a pity if the Federal Government is not willing
to perfect the resolutions reached with the union.
This is why we find it difficult to trust our leaders by
their words. How can someone be threatening to
sack lecturers when universities are already short-
staffed by almost 60,000?” he said.

ASUU STRIKE: UNICAL Lecturer Supports
FG, Lambasts ASUU
A Lecturer at the University of Calabar, Dr
Edidiong Ebitu, has described the new
demands by the Academic Staff Union of
Universities as an act of sabotage of the
education sector.
Ebitu made the declaration on Friday in Uyo in
an interview with journalist.
The teacher, who is a senior lecturer in the
Department of Marketing in the university, said
he was in support of the Federal Government’s
directive that lecturers should resume classes.
“The various branches of ASUU had already
voted to resume classes. The over four-months
strike has done enough damage to the system.
“The president had made reasonable
concessions, so ASUU should resume for other
things to fall in place,” he said.
However, reacting to Ebitu’s views, the
Secretary of the University of Uyo Branch of
ASUU, Dr Aniekan Brown, debunked the claim
that ASUU was making fresh demands.
“ASUU is not making fresh demands, ASUU is
asking for the implementation of 2009
agreements.
“If any ASUU member says ASUU is making
fresh demands, I doubt if that person is an ASUU
member, that person is not informed,” Brown
said.
The Federal Ministry of Education had on Nov.
28, directed the authorities of federal
universities to re-open classes immediately and
to treat lecturers who refused to resume work as
having resigned.

ASUU strike: We cannot be
intimidated – Union
The Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) on Thursday said that it would not be
intimidated by the Federal Government’s
directive to resume work on or before Dec. 4
without resolving the industrial dispute.
Mr Clement Chup, the Chairman of ASUU, the
University of Abuja chapter, told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that there
was nothing like re-opening the universities
or calling off the strike.
The Federal Government had on Thursday
directed all Vice-Chancellors of the federal
universities that were on strike to
immediately re-open the universities for
academic and allied activities.
The Federal Government also directed the
universities’ Pro-Chancellors and Vice-
Chancellors to ensure that lecturers who
resumed for work were provided with the
enabling environment for academic and allied
activities.
The government, however, warned that any
lecturer who failed to resume on or before
Dec. 4, automatically ceased to be a member
of staff of the institution.
It also directed the Vice-Chancellors directed
to advertise vacancies (internal and external)
in their institutions.
Some parents and students, who spoke with
the NAN in Abuja, expressed mixed feelings
concerning the Federal Government’s
directive.
Mr Ekpontas Uwanna, a parent, said that it
was improper for the Federal Government to
order ASUU to call off its strike in such an
abrupt manner, without reaching an
agreement with the union.
“This is a civilised country and I think people
have been trying to sympathise with the
government over ASUU strike.
“’But with such pronouncement, I do not think
that it is the right way that the Federal
Government should handle this matter,’’ he
added.
Another parent, Mrs Joy
Amadi, said that it was a
shame that the state of affairs of the
country’s tertiary education sector was being
handled in such a manner.
“We are not in the military era; this is
democracy and any agreement entered into
by the Federal Government, be it with
anybody or association, must be kept.
“Issuing threat is not the option but with
mutual understanding of both parties and
patience, there will be peace and harmony in
the sector,’’ she said.
Mr Dele Oluwadayo, also a parent, said that
the strike had dragged on for too long, adding
that parents and students were fed up with
the industrial action.
“I think that the Federal Government and the
Pro-Chancellors are doing the right thing by
calling for the re-opening of the universities.
“But I want to say that the Federal
government should not be hard on the
lecturers.
“I think ASUU is fighting for a good cause but
they should also be considerate,’’ he said.
However, a student, Mohammed Aliyu, urged
ASUU to abide by the Federal Government’s
directive.
“It is better for ASUU to work with the Federal
Government’s terms and reference; we are
tired of the strike,’’ he said.
Another student, Priscilla Ekoma, said that
the Federal Government’s directive was not
in order.
“Although it is not that I am happy that we
are on strike, but it is very, very wrong for the
Federal Government to order ASUU to resume
work just like that.
“ASUU is making a case for all the
universities in the country and an agreement
should be reached, the crisis cannot be
resolved via intimidation or threat,’’ Ekoma
said.
NAN reports that all efforts to get the reaction
of the ASUU National President, Dr Nasir
Fagge, as at the time of filing this report
proved abortive, as he did not pick the
reporter’s calls. (NAN)

Nigerian government gives ASUU one week
ultimatum to call off strike
ASUU has been on strike since July 1.
The Federal Government on Thursday gave the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, one
week ultimatum to call off the ongoing strike.
The acting Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike,
stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.
ASUU has been on a nationwide strike since July 1,
demanding the government implements a 2009
agreement it had with the union.
The lecturers had last week, at the end of the ASUU
NEC meeting, resolved to take a definite position on
the government’s offer and the strike after meeting
President Goodluck Jonathan this week.
The meeting is yet to hold.

Call off strike or face sacking, Jonathan tells
ASUU
The Federal Government on Thursday gave the
Academic Staff Union of Universities, one week
ultimatum to call off the ongoing strike.
The acting Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike,
stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.
Wike said those who refused to report to work after
the one week ultimatum among the ASUU
members would lose their jobs.

ASUU STRIKE: Fresh Demands Shatter
Students’ Hope
Fresh requests by
members of the Academic
Staff Union of Universities
heighten anxiety over the
resumption of academic
activities in public
universities,
he mood was on the
upbeat on Saturday night
at the Ikeja residence of
the Ugboduagas. While Mr.
Alphonsus Ugboduaga exchanged banter with his
wife, their 18-year-old son, Junior, also looked very
excited.
Other members of their family present in the house
seemed to be in a pleasant mood, too. So the
Ugboduaga’s popped a bottle of champagne. Their
excitement was born out of the expectation that
after four months, the gates of the nation’s public
universities would be opened, at least, going by
media reports earlier in the day.
Beyond that, the Ugboduaga family was in a joyful
mood because Junior’s fate in relation to the
admission he secured to study Computer Science at
the Ekpoma State University, Edo State would come
to fruition. Following the protracted ASUU strike, the
youngster was not sure whether the admission
offered him by the university would still materialise
this year. However, the positive reports on Saturday
gave him hope.
As a result of this development, Junior left Lagos for
Ekpoma on Monday morning to commence his
registration process. But just as he was doing this,
information filtered in that the striking university
teachers had made fresh demands as a condition to
return to classrooms.
On receiving this news, Junior’s mood and
countenance changed almost immediately. What
does this fresh request by ASUU portend? Is it that
normalcy is still far from returning to the nation’s
public universities? What has befallen him and
many other potential admission seekers? These and
many other questions raged on his mind.
Miss Usen Enoh also faced the same uncertain fate.
Before this latest development, the third year Music
student of the University of Uyo had thought that
with the intervention of President Goodluck
Jonathan, the resumption was as good as sealed.
The President had promised the ASUU leadership
that his administration would from 2014 inject
N1.1tn into the university system. He also promised
to release another N100bn for the sector in the
remaining part of this year.
But the report on Monday that the striking teachers
were demanding the payment of their salaries,
among other requests, seems to have thrown a
spanner in the works. Little wonder, Enoh looked
frustrated. Before now, her calculation was that she
would enter the New Year as a final year student.
Indeed, the fears and frustrations of Junior and Enoh
are not out of place. One of the resolutions reached
by the striking teachers, who ended their National
Executive Council meeting in Kano on Friday, our
correspondent gathered, is that the FG must show
enough commitment, especially with regard to the
payment of their four months’ salaries.
They are also seeking the immediate
implementation of the N1.2tn offer by the
government to public universities, starting with the
release of N100bn this year.
But even as lecturers make these demands,
analysts look at their requests with mixed feelings.
For instance, an education consultant, Dr. Olusegun
Omisore, notes that the auto accident, which killed
a former ASUU President, Dr. Festus Iyayi, must
have contributed to the latest demands by the
striking lecturers.
According to Omisore, the controversial
circumstances in which Iyayi died must have
prompted the lecturers to take this position.
Iyayi died in an auto accident involving the convoy
of the Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, and an
ASUU vehicle on his way to Kano to attend the NEC
meeting penultimate week.
For a Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, the lecturers
have no need to nurse any fear about the possibility
of getting their salary arrears. The action they
engaged in trying to revamp the nation’s tertiary
institutions, he says, is a legitimate one before the
law.
He states, “The FG has no justification to attempt to
use the no-work, no-pay policy to further drag on
the debate. Strike is one of the legitimate
instruments workers use to fight their cause. The
cause the lecturers are fighting is not a private one,
but for the public good. What they are seeking is for
the good of the university system and the nation.
“Therefore, if they are punished for this, it will be
against the tenet of fair industrial practice. Again,
that policy will not work in this country. It is just a
decorative part of industrial law.”
As Aturu holds this view, Omisore is asking the
teachers to temper justice with mercy. He notes
that the worst hit in the crisis are the students.
Omisore says, “On the bottom rung of the ladder
are the students. ASUU members should not forget
that students are involved in all of this. The damage
done to their psyche and the future of Nigeria is
enormous. Since the FG has shifted ground, the
striking teachers should try to meet the the
government at the middle road.”
He also appeals to ASUU members to exploit the
support they have earned from members of the
public to call off the industrial action.
Like Enoh and Junior, who are disillusioned with the
development, a 200-level student of the Federal
University of Agriculture, Oyebanji Omotayo, says
he is tired of the strike.
He notes, “I am fed up and tired of staying at home.
The only thing I want to hear now is the suspension
of the strike. ASUU should resolve all the
outstanding issues quickly. I hope the situation is
not going out of hand. I implore the FG to do what is
needful so that the striking teachers return to
classes.”
Similarly, Fadlulah Hammed, a part two English
Language undergraduate of the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, says, “The strike at this point has
become unbearable. I understand that the striking
teachers have put up some fresh demands, but I
urge them to consider our plight and call off the
action.”
For Suliat Olubisi, a 300-level student of the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zari, who claims she has
been on campus since the strike begun, it is high
time the action was called off.
She says, “Any time I attempt to return home, there
is always the rumour that the strike will end. I
therefore plead with ASUU members to sheathe
their swords, as it were.”
But Dr. Fidelis Okoro, who teaches at the University
of Nigeria, Nsukka, says the issues at stake are
beyond sentiments. According to him, the blame for
shunning the classrooms should be laid at the
doorsteps of the FG. Their action, he explains, arose
because the authorities breached an agreement
unanimously signed in 2009.
He adds, “Nobody can blame us for this, if the FG
had kept to the agreement in the first place, the
strike would not have cropped up at all.”

ASUU Strike 2013 Update:
Strike Not Over, Wike Calls
Union’s Demands
‘Outrageous’
The ASUU strike in 2013 continues, and the latest
update is that the strike is not over as was
predicted over the weekend.
But the end is called into question now as it seems
the federal government and the union haven’t
actually met yet. The meeting was supposed to
happen after union leadership voted to end the
strike on Saturday.
The vote, however, included three conditions that
the federal government must meet in order for the
strike to get called off.
Instead of meeting with President Goodluck
Jonathan as planned, the union delivered a letter
outlining the three conditions to Minister for
Education Nyesom Wike. It’s unclear why the
meeting didn’t happen.
Wike is not happy with the union’s demands.
“I will have to see Mr. President to see how the
government can go about this development, which
is not favorable,” said Wike, reported the Nation,
making the first comments by a federal official
about the latest developments. “It is outrageous.
ASUU is now making fresh demands and this will
definitely need further discussion.”
As reported previously, besides the three
conditions, the union wants legal binding from the
president before ending the strike.
“ASUU leaders are not ready to take anything for
granted this time around; every clause in whatever
is agreed upon will have legal effect on the two
parties,” a source told the Nation.
One of the three conditions conditions is a written
commitment from President Jonathan that the
federal government will commit N225billion
annually to the funding of universities for the next
four years.
That’s not as simple as it sounds, a presidency
source said.
“The government is also weighing options on the
demands of ASUU especially the aspects relating to
financial commitment. You know, what the
government spends has to depend on what it earns.
If there is a binding financial commitment and there
is global recession in the oil industry, will
government now look for money at all cost?
“This is one grey area of the pending agreement on
which the two parties must reach a compromise.”
Another union source said that the government
aims to trick the union into calling off the strike
while not implementing the 2009 agreement, which
is supposedly what the strike is over. The source
said that the union may continue the strike into
2014.
Dr. Adeyemi Daramola, a lecturer in the Department
of English at the University of Lagos, supported that
claim, telling the Nigerian Tribune that the union
plans to strike until mid-January 2014.
That’s surely shocking news if it is true, because it
has appeared numerous times over the past few
weeks that the strike would be called off any day.
The majority of the union leaders voted to end the
strike at campuses across the country following a
meeting with President Jonathan and government
officials.
The National Executive Council was scheduled for
November 20, and the union appeared ready to end
the strike at the meeting and make it official the
next day.
But former union president Festus Iyayi suddenly
died from a car accident on his way to the NEC
meeting, so the meeting was postponed.
People weren’t sure when the meeting would be
rescheduled, and the union remained secretive
about its actions after the crash. However, it
emerged that a two-day meeting “secret meeting”
was held over the weekend, at which the union
leadership voted to end the strike but also to
demand the three conditions which has upset
government officials.