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Tag: ASUU STRIKE

  • ASUU strike: It’s unlawful to stop salaries, says Falana

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Federal Government to withdraw its directive stopping the salaries and allowances of the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    Falana said the directive was not justified in law.

    The government, last week, directed the vice  chancellors of federal universities to  apply Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Amendment Act  by  seizing the salaries and allowances of the striking ASUU members.

    But, Falana, in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday titled, “Why ‘no work no pay’ rule is never applied to striking employees, contended that the directive could not be justified in law on  the grounds that only the governing councils of the affected  institutions are empowered by the relevant laws to subject  the academic staff to any form of disciplinary action.

    He also argued that the salaries and allowances of striking lecturers could not be seized without due process.

    Rather, Falana advised the federal and state governments to accelerate the ongoing negotiations  between the authorities and the ASUU so that the striking  lecturers could return to the classrooms.

    He disagreed with the claims of the Labour and Productivity minister Chris Ngige, who was reported to have said until Section 43 of the  Trade Disputes Amendment Act, which disentitles employees to payment of salaries and allowances  during strikes “is expunged or repealed through legislative process by the  National Assembly, it remains not just applicable but a  point of law for compliance by all citizens”.

    Falana wondered why the minister has not challenged the decisions of the Supreme Court, which he cited and which held  that it is the exclusive powers of the Governing Council of  every university to discipline lecturers whose employment enjoys statutory flavour.

    He maintained that the “no work no pay” policy has always been put in abeyance to ensure the effective resolution of the subject matter of any industrial action.

    “Therefore, since the government has endorsed the payment of salaries and  allowances of striking lecturers, the controversial directive to the Vice Chancellors  ought to  be immediately withdrawn,” he said.

    Falana said it was curious why the minister did not disclose that the government has always put the law aside in a move to end strikes embarked upon by workers.

    According to him, “a clause is usually inserted in collective agreements that employees who had taken part in an industrial action would not be damnified in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.

    “The practice was  judicially endorsed  in the case of Senior Staff  Association of Nigerian Universities v Federal Government of  Nigeria (unreported suit no  NIC/8/2004, whose judgment was  delivered on May 8, 2007)  where the National Industrial  Court held  that ” …it is perfectly lawful for an  employer to choose to dispense with the ‘no work, no  pay’ rule.

    “In other words, strike pay is lawful if an employer chooses to pay same and not to penalise the strikers in any other way for the strike.

    “It is lawful for employees to agree with their employer that wages will be paid and no other detriment suffered even when strike actions are embarked upon,” he contended.

    “With particular reference to strikes by university lecturers, the Federal Government has always entered into Collective Agreements with ASUU  to the effect that “nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to these resolutions and Agreement”.

    “The clause was inserted in the 1992, 2009 and 2013 Collective Agreements, which were freely signed by the representatives of the federal and state governments as well as ASUU”, he recalled.

  • NLC backs ASUU strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. It said the Federal Government and many state governments had resorted to bullying and draconian threats in dealing with industrial relations.

    In a statement by its Acting President, Comrade Lawal Dutsinma, NLC said the ASUU struggle for improved conditions of learning in  public universities was not the first over which the government is issuing the “No Work … No Pay” threat.

    “During the last warning strike by the NLC on the new national minimum wage, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige issued a “No Work… No Pay” threat against workers.

    “Also, during the last nationwide strike action by health workers, the Federal Government did not only issue a “No Work… No Pay” threat, it went ahead to implement it. Till now, government still withholds about three months of salaries due to health workers.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress considers the application of the “No Work… No Pay” rule as an autocratic attempt to cow workers into abandoning their legitimate demand for decent wages, conducive work spaces and social justice.

    “As far as we are concerned, government’s invocation of the ‘no work, no pay” clause in the Trade Disputes Act is selective, erroneous and hypocritical,” the union said.

    He said the Federal Government and nearly all the states in Nigeria are owing workers varying arrears of salaries, allowances, pension and gratuity – some running into years.

    According to him,  workers have continued to endure such profound neglect by political leaders elected to prioritise the welfare of citizens. “Given the grand betrayal of workers by government, workers stand the higher moral ground to invoke a “No Pay… No Work” action.

    “Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act of Nigeria has always been in our statutes but successive governments had hardly ever invoked it to punish an already impoverished workforce.

    “It is sad that the current government is making a lot of fuss on just one aspect of our laws while holding in contempt several provisions in our labour laws and even our constitution demanding just and humane treatment of workers,” he said

    He said it is important to reiterate that Nigerian workers will never accept slavery in their own country, adding that the right to strike is both a human and trade union right protected by our laws and international conventions particularly ILO Convention 87.

    “|It is the right to strike that distinguishes a worker from a slave. Do we need to remind government at all levels that Nigerian workers are worthy partners in nation building and not slaves? As a matter of fact, labour builds the commonwealth that political leaders and their cronies, more often than not, squander. It is, therefore, regrettable that government continues to behave as if Nigerian workers are slaves who have no rights or privileges to claim.

    “We warn government at all levels to desist from using the “No Work… No Pay” rule to shirk away from their responsibilities. We also demand immediate release of workers’ salaries withheld on the account of “No Work… No Pay” rule. Also, we ask government to respect agreements it freely entered into with ASUU in order to restore normalcy and sanity to our public institutions of learning especially our universities. Our children have suffered enough already! Enough is enough,” he said.

  • ASUU Strike-FG set to meet with union on Monday

    The Federal Government will meet with the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) on Monday Dec.10, over the ongoing nationwide strike.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mr Samuel Olowookere, in Abuja.

    Ngige said that all further discussions between the Ministry of Education and ASUU would now reconvene at 4 p.m.at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

    The Minister also condemned a statement credited to a Human Rights Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana who was alleged to have described as illegal the enforcement of section 43:1 of the Trade Dispute Act 2004 on the’’ No Work No Pay’’

    Falana was also said to have asked the federal government to immediately withdraw what he termed an “illegal order”.

    The minister, however, said that the law of ‘’No Work, No Pay,’’ was a fundamental axiom in labour and industrial relations all over the world.

    He said that the ministry would investigate the media report credited to Falana to ascertain whether he actually quoted the Supreme Court judgments.

    “That is knowing that they are tangential and that they neither anchor nor dwell on provisions of section 43 of Trade Dispute Act T8(LFN 2004) before it will take further necessary action, ” he said.

    Read Also:ASUU strike: FG begins implementation of no-work-no-pay rule in striking varsities

    NAN reports that on Dec, 4, the meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU ended without any conclusio.

    Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU National President, while speaking with newsmen at the end of the closed door meeting in Abuja noted that negotiations were still ongoing. He said both parties were yet to reach a concrete decision.

    “For now, we have started to discuss. We are yet to reach any concrete decision. Once we have more information, we will make ourselves available to the press.

    “The union will reconvene very soon to continue negotiations,” he said.

    The meeting held at the instance of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu was to find lasting solution to the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.

    ASUU had on Nov. 4, embarked on an indefinite strike over poor funding of Nigerian universities and non-implementation of previous agreements by government.

    Meanwhile, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr Danielson Akpan has urged both parties to have a common ground so that the universities can reopen.

    He said they must put the interest of the country and Nigerian students above any other thing.

  • ASUU Strike: Students resort to vocational training

    As the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU enters its 32nd day, students have decided to acquire vocational skills to keep themselves busy during the period.

    ASUU had embarked on the indefinite strike last month citing the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the union.

    Some students who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja said they were tired of staying at home.

    Martha Adah, a Political Science student with the University of Abuja said she had decided to learn tailoring which she believed would be useful to her in future.

    Adah said that from every indication, the ASUU strike might likely take longer than necessary as both parties appeared not to be interested in making compromises.

    “Since we cannot tell when the strike will be suspended, I will advise other students not just to sit at home doing nothing, but engage themselves in activities that will benefit them in future.

    “There are many skills that one can choose from ranging from fashion design, make-up, shoes making, baking and many more.

    “Do not just sit idle at home, engage yourself with something meaningful,’’ she said.

    Abbati Ahmed, a Biochemistry student of Kaduna State University, said he got tired of sitting at home and decided to learn how to make shoes.

    Ahmed said he had gained a lot since he started learning the trade two weeks ago.

    “Even when ASUU calls off the strike, I will be making shoes for other students and be making money from it,’’ he said excitedly.

    Ifeanyi Okeakpu , a 300 level Economics student of Benue State University said the lingering strike was unfortunate as both FG and ASUU appeared not to be interested in shifting grounds.

    “Not to get frustrated at home, I decided to engage myself in Male fashion designing.

    “I am enjoying it so far and I know I would not regret it, knowing that the white collar job will not be there for me after graduation unless I have a connection.

    Similarly, Osaji Hope of Ambrose Ali University, Edo State, said she had already started learning bead making and following the trending fashion.

    Hope encouraged students to cease the opportunity the strike offered and make something out of life.

     

    Read Also:ASUU strike : Parents, students call for quick FG intervention

     

    Meanwhile the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, on Wednesday night announced that he had taken over negotiations between the Federal Government and the striking university teachers.

    In a statement signed by Mr Samuel Olowokere, Director Press in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ngige said this was to avoid “unnecessary meddlesome” and ensure speedy resolution of all issues.

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had been leading the negotiations with ASUU, but Ngige, said that he had taken over the negotiation by the power conferred on him by Section 5 of the Trade Dispute Act.

    The minister also condemned the statement made by Femi Falana, (SAN) describing as illegal, the enforcement of Sec. 43.1 of the Trade Dispute Act 2004 on the `No Work No Pay’ provision.

    Falana had described the enforcement of the provisions as ‘illegal’ and asked the Federal Government to immediately withdraw the `illegal order’.

  • Silent victims of ASUU strike

    When negotiations cannot solve the problem between two parties in conflict, the matter will be prolonged until one party bows to the pressure of the other or a third party intervenes.

    The above aptly describes the ongoing face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    We should recall that the last meeting between the two parties ended without any resolution. Though issues discussed were not disclosed to the public, but those who know the action and its interpretative meaning could guess right that: the government may wish to re-enact its deceitful method to lure the angry lecturers, while the lecturers may not be ready to dance to the tune of government’s deception again.

    The presidency even confessed to the public that the lecturers’ demands are valid, but thereafter adopted illegal, harsh, compelling and dictatorial policy to threaten them. This is not a way to solve the problem; rather the government should look at another holistic approach that will pacify the lecturers to call off the ongoing action that has disrupted the academic activities in most of the public-owned universities and kept students back home.

    If the issue is being critically looked at, one would understand that the travails of ASUU did not begin with this administration; rather it has become what I term “chop and leave” food for successive administrations.

    I posited, in one of my articles, that the problem facing education in Nigeria did not start in the contemporary times. It could be traced to 1980s when the budget allocated to education fell drastically below 30 per cent. Since then, strike has become a recurring decimal in that sector.

    Like we all know, ASUU is one of the pressure groups in the education sector; there is no iota of doubt that if the government is able to meet its demands now, that will spark-off another flame of strike actions by other pressure groups in the sector, as they would all come to realise that the only way to negotiate with the government is to embark on industrial actions.

    In this same year, we have faced similar actions from the Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of University (NASU), but these actions were not felt because there was no disruption in the academic activities. What could have been a total shutdown in the country was shelved when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) suspended its planned strike.

    ASUU has realised its power of strike as a tool that can be used to make the government concede to its demands. Its action is felt more in the education sector; so the lecturers use strike as means of forcing the government to improve their welfare and increase funding to public schools.

    The problem now is that, the government is stoking another fire, which may draw back the success achieved in negotiations with ASUU.

    A few days ago, the Federal Government announced the implementation of “no-work-no-pay” policy against the lecturers.

    It is clear that, even if the government did not revoke the policy, which I believe cannot end the strike, the lecturers have understood the power behind unity and are ready to face the hardship as they know that their travails would not last long. The government tends to lose more, because this is happening at an election period.

    There is no iota of doubt that the lecturers would be able to withstand this harsh government policy, because most of them also engage in independent research and consultancy where they make money. So, introducing no-work-no-pay policy is like deferring the lecturers’ regular pay and keep it for them till a later day.

    The lecturers seem not ready to dance to another music of deception. They have reached for the government’s jugular at a delicate period, having realised that they have nothing to lose. It is only the people in power that will lose more, because the general election is around the corner.

    What is clear is that, both parties are in a diabetic state. In the end, they have nothing to lose. The strike action will end one day and the lecturers will receive their arrears, but the year of graduations of students may have been altered. We, the students, are the silent victims of the government-ASUU face-off. Truly, when two elephants fight, it is the grasses that suffer.

     

    • Nurudeen is a student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

  • ASUU strike: FG begins implementation of no-work-no-pay rule in striking varsities

    Following the deadlocks that have trailed attempts to end the ongoing strike by lecturers in Federal Government-owned universities in the country, the Federal Government has directed Vice Chancellors of the striking public varsities and inter-varsity centres to enforce the no-work-no-pay rule on striking lecturers.

    The directive was said to have been communicated to the universities in a memo sent by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) through the vice chancellors.

    The memo, which was signed by Director Research Information and Technology of NUC, Dr S.B Ramon-Yusuf, stated that payment of salaries from any other sources will be viewed as a violation of extant rules and government directive.

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    It reads in part: “In view of the current Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the federal government has directed that there shall be no payment of any form of salaries and allowances to the staff on strike in federal and inter-varsity centres.

    “Consequently, I am to direct Vice-Chancellors to apply the ‘No-work-no-pay’ rule.

    “However, universities and inter-varsity centres are to pay salaries and allowances to non-teaching staff. All Vice Chancellors and Directors of centers should note that the salaries to staff on strike from whatever source of funds shall be viewed as violation of extant rules and directive of the federal government of Nigeria.”

    Reacting to the memo on no-work-no-pay, the Chairman University of Ibadan Chapter of ASUU, Dr Deji Omole, described the FG as shameless for owing lecturers seven years of unpaid earned academic allowances and still want them to continue to work for free while the Presidency and the National Assembly feed fat on the wealth of the nation.

    He said it is sad that “a government that prides itself as having integrity has shamefully shown it lacks integrity by failing to honour agreements reached with the union but resulted to harassment and intimidation of our members on a patriotic struggle to save public education in Nigeria.”

    Omole said the directive will add fuel to the struggle as academic staff have resolved to get proper education for the children of the masses.

    According to Omole, the military government tried unsuccessfully to intimidate the collective will of Nigerian masses, adding that members of the union have resolved to fight for the future of the country.

    He said: “We have passed this road before. It is a familiar terrain which we can navigate with our eyes closed.

    “We shall triumph any attempt to destroy the common patrimony. The power of the people is stronger than the people in power.”

  • Education stakeholders call for dialogue to end ASUU strike

    Some stakeholders in the education sector have appealed to the Federal Government to dialogue favourably with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the incessant strike.

    Some of the stakeholders told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that there was a need for a functional education system in order for the country’s economy to grow.

    Prof. Olugbenga Alabi of the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Abuja, said that the government should discuss with ASUU and settle with them peacefully.

    Government should open up to the union and tell them what it can afford from their demands; there should be agreement between both parties and things will work out fine.

    Once there is dialogue there will always be a way out.
    “All these issues are just about good leadership; if both leaderships come together and agree on the issues, the economy will not suffer.’’
    Dr James Daniel, Chief Librarian, Baze University, Abuja, said that ASUU needed to be settled once and for all, adding: “this is a recurring decimal that shouldn’t continue.

    “Many parents are withdrawing their children and wards from public universities to private universities because there is no strike there.
    “Especially when you have girls, by the time you go on strike for two or three years it will affect them as they would have grown to be of marriageable age.

    “The Federal Government should put money into the universities so as to unravel the problems that lecturers are agitating for.
    “As for me, I think ASUU should continue with their strike until they get their demand,’’ he said.

    Dr Steven Oluwaniyi, a parent, called on all Nigerians to work together to take education to the next level.
    Oluwaniyi, who works with the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, said that no parent would be happy seeing the child sitting at home without doing anything because of strike.

    He said there was a need for the intervention of all stakeholders to come together and dialogue on ways to end the strike.
    “The whole country should work together to make education successful; parents, government and the lecturers have their roles to make education successful.

    No parent will be happy seeing the child sitting at home, waiting for the appropriate time to resume.
    “As parents, you want your children to do well and if the school they are attending does not have adequate materials and learning environment, how will they do well?

    Comparatively, if you want to compare Nigeria with other countries, you will realise that they are ready to pay the price for education which we don’t do here.
    “Therefore, the government must do the needful to end the strike and provide necessary learning materials and good environment for both students and lecturers.’’

     

    However, he appealed to all stakeholders to see to it that education in the country improved.
    On Nov. 5, ASUU declared an indefinite strike to press demands for improved funding of public universities and the payment of accumulated allowances to lecturers.

    The Federal and ASUU met on Monday to resolve issues and end the strike but the meeting ended in a deadlock.

     

    (NAN)

  • ASUU strike : Parents, students call for quick FG intervention

    Some parents and students in Abuja on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to speedily intervene and resolve the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).

    The parents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, expressed worry over the constant strikes embarked upon by the university lecturers’ union.

    NAN reports that on Monday, the Federal Government and ASUU had a meeting to resolve their agreement in order to suspend the lecturers’ strike.

    However, the meeting that reportedly started at about 5 p.m. at the Federal Ministry of Education ended in another deadlock.

    A parent, Mrs Eunice John, said: “it is a pity what our government and ASUU is doing to this to our children who have been forced once again out of school.
    ‎
    “‎We know that many of the leaders have their children either studying in private universities or in other schools overseas, that is why they can always keep our children out of school.

    “Many parents are struggling to pay school fees of their wards to keep them in school and out of the streets, yet these children are forced to come home and some now engage in various vices.

    “That is not the only problem, when their studies are disrupted, it affects them; imagine those who were in the middle of writing examinations having that flow disrupted.’’

    ‎John pleaded with the FG and ASUU to reach an agreement that would end the strike and ultimately help improve the education sector.

    Mr David Onilede, another parent said the strike was worrisome adding that it would affect the productivity of the students.

    “I am worried at the sustained strike by ASUU. As a parent, the capacity of our children for productive interaction with their studies is being jeopardised.

    “I do not trust the FG ‘ s negotiating team; it seems that it is fixated on commercialising education at the tertiary level; ASUU should resist this. ‎

    “ASUU too, should be more flexible in their obsession with earned allowances; it portrays their struggles as selfish,’’ he said.

    Mrs Jumoke Yusuf, a Public Servant, said that the constant and protracted lecturers’ strikes had marred the country’s university system, as continuous breaks in the learning process had negatively affected the students.

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    “This strike is affecting the students and even we the parents because unexpectedly these children are coming home which they did not plan for.

    “That is not the main issue because you cannot stop your children from coming home no matter what.

    “The issue is that these incessant strikes are actually causing a lot of problems for these children in the sense that they just stay too long in school.
    ‎
    Esther Ajayi, a student ‎at the Nasarawa State University, who a spoke to reporters, said the strike had reduced her morale.

    ‎”I paid my fees for admission for a master’s degree programme and was excited and ready to go to school, however, this strike has dampened my hope of finishing within the stipulated time.

    “We want the federal government to dialogue with ASUU to end this continuous strike.
    ‎
    “It is not only sad that children of the masses try to be beat all odds to be the best they can be, but more worrisome is that the government of the day plays politics with the education system.

    ‎”Nigeria prides herself as the giant of Africa, but finds it difficult to resolve issues that are beneficial to the populace, we want the strike called off soonest.”
    ‎
    Emmanuel Onuoha, another student who spoke to NAN, accused the FG of failing the Nigerian student. ‎

    He said that government needed to do everything within its power to address the challenges in the sector as he called for the strike to be called of soonest.

    “Our parents said in their time the education system was good, there was nothing like strike and education was basically free.

    “Now some of them are in government and they are allowing us to suffer what they never did, because they can afford to send their children to schools abroad to get the best. ‎

    “We are pleading with government to solve this problem so we can go back to school.

    “Our ‎mates in private universities are way ahead of us; we‎ are just sitting at home doing nothing. It is not fair,”‎ he said.

  • Parents, students appeal to ASUU to end strike

    As the indefinite strike embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) entered its second week on Monday, parents and students have appealed to the union to call it off.

    Some of the parents and students who spoke in separate interviews wit our reporter in Abuja called on the striking lecturers to embrace dialogue in the interest of the nation.

    Mrs Josephine Taiwo, a business woman and mother of three undergraduates urged ASUU to suspend the strike considering its possible negative effects on both students and parents.

    She noted that if the strike was allowed to continue it would alter many universities’ academic calendars and make it difficult for students to graduate at the right time.

    Mrs Okiki Samson, a teacher in one of the government secondary schools in the FCT also decried incessant industrial actions in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.

    As a parent, she described the current development as unhealthy for the future of the students.

    “It is unfortunate that some students have spent over five years for a course that is supposed to last four years as a result of frequent strikes.

    “Whenever ASUU goes on strike, it is the children of the poor that suffer it. Most children of the rich do not school in our universities.

    She urged the union to explore other avenues of ventilating its grievances, maintaining that strikes adversely affect the academic programmes.

    Also, Mr Solomon Adams, a resident appealed to the lecturers to suspend the strike, calling on government to pay attention to education and treat issues relating to it as a priority.

    He condemned the fact that government till date still allows issue of strike to continue in education sector.

    “I appeal to ASUU to consider interests of students who are at the receiving end, so that those in final year could finish up with their examinations.

    “Meanwhile, it is not good that government still allows strikes in our universities till date,’’ he said.

    A parent, Mrs Victoria Babatunde, also urged the ASUU leadership to give Federal Government more time to meet its demands, in view of the present situation in the country.

    “It is unfortunate that government has been unable to fulfil its own part of the agreement reached with ASUU.

    “But ASUU should not be too rigid. The union should consider the prevailing situation in the country,’’ she said.

    Miss Hannah Ayanwale, a law student at the University of Abuja said Education was the engine room that drives economic and technological development of any nation and should not be allowed to suffer.

    “Our leaders should give education its pride of place in order to move this country to forward,” she said.

    Mr Ola Alonge, a student of computer at the Nassarawa State University keffi equally appealed to the government and ASUU to resolve the lingering industrial dispute.

    NAN reports that the National President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi on November 5 called for an indefinite strike involving both the federal and state-owned universities.

    NAN further reports that the strike follows allegation of failure of the Federal Government to implement Memorandum of Action (MOA) 2017 signed with it.

    While declaring the strike in Akure, Ogunyemi said “Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining.

    “ASUU at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November 2018 at the FUTA,  resolved to resume the nationwide strike action it suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.’’

    NAN

  • OAU, ASUU disagree over students stay on campus

    The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have issued conflicting statements on the continued stay of the students on the campus following the nationwide strike by the lecturers.

    The ASUU branch chairman, Mr Adeola Egbedokun, after a meeting on Tuesday asked students to vacate the campus and declared the chapter’s solidarity with the national body.

    “We love our students and they should go home because we don’t want them to be victims of whatever action that will accompany the strike,” Mr Egbedokun said in a statement.

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    The Registrar of the OAU, Margaret Omosule in a circular released on Tuesday however asked students not to join the industrial strike action.

    According to Omosule, there are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end of year holidays.

    “We wish to assure all students that the University Academic Calendar for the 2017/2018 Academic Session is very much on course.

    “There are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end of year holidays and all members of the University community must be unanimous in the resolution to ensure that the Calendar remains sacrosanct,” she added.