The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • ASUU canvasses education bank to fund varsities

    THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has advised the Federal Government to establish an education bank for proper funding of universities.

    Its President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who was guest on TVC News Breakfast show yesterday, said yesterday it is ready to negotiate with government toward ending its one-week old industrial action.

    He regretted the attitude of government to the university lecturers’ demands, saying that letters notifying government of the strike, which were submitted to the Education and Labour ministries on November 5, had not been replied.

    “We wrote to inform the ministries that we had resumed our strike. We told them that we had resumed the strike we suspended in September 2017 because government failed to implement agreements we signed.

    “The ministries signed to acknowledge receipt of the copies we gave them, but none has written a reply to us,” he said.

    He accused the political class of strangling primary and secondary education in Nigeria, saying that 24 states had failed to access the Universal Basic Education Commission funds for 2018.

    According to him, the failure has left UBEC with more than N60 billion that states are yet to access.

    Ogunyemi observed that the Federal Government, which had consistently allocated seven per cent to education in the last two years, was not sincere in the claim that it was declaring a state of emergency in the education sector.

    “The Federal Government suddenly woke up from slumber and announced a state of emergency in the education sector. It also promised to allocate 15 per cent of its budget to the sector. We find this unbelievable and deceitful.

    “We feel that the `sudden’ promise has more to do with the fact that we are in an election year,” he declared.

    He alleged that the ruling class had no concern for the education of the poor.

    The lecturers had resolved to remain at home until their demands, which include proper funding of the universities, are met.

    Other demands included the payment of full salaries by state-owned universities, payment of earned academic allowances, among others.

  • 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

  • ASUU: negotiating team okays student loan

    THE Federal Government/Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) 2009 Agreement Renegotiation Committee has said that a student loan scheme through an education bank can solve the sector’s funding challenges.

    Its chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN),  said a N1 million per annum students’ loan scheme and, by extension, an education bank, will avail students of loans for their education and other immediate needs.

    According to him, the Federal Government could not afford to satisfy university education needs as demanded by striking lecturers, at the detriment of the country’s infrastructure, health, security and other challenges.

    Last week, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced a nationwide strike, following lingering funding issues.

    ASUU National President Abiodun Ogunyemi said the union took the decision due to the government’s failure to honour a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the union and the Federal Government in 2017.

    But Babalakin, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos at the weekend,  urged ASUU to return to the negotiation table.

    Babalakin dismissed as false the often talked about 26 per cent education funding advice by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

    He also debunked allegations that his team suggested a fee hike in universities, explaining that the committee’s scope of work had nothing to do with fees payable in schools.

    He said: “We believe that negotiations are best done on the table rather than on the pages of the newspapers.

    “Going by the figures provided by ASUU, Nigeria requires over N2 trillion per annum to fund university education. This figure exceeds in value the total amount of money available for all capital projects in Nigeria, including health, infrastructure, security and others.”

    Babalakin added: “The National Council of Education appreciates this position and has directed that student loan schemes be set up by the various state governments. It has also supported the idea of an Education Bank which would provide soft loans for students seeking to obtain university education.”

    He said claims that “our Committee has proposed N500, 000 per annum as tuition fees to be paid by university undergraduates” or “was planning to impose tuition fees of N350, 000” were false.

    He suggested that every student who gains admission to a university and is not able to qualify on merit for the Federal Government’s scholarship should be entitled as of right to obtain a loan from the Education Bank.

    “A loan of N1m per annum would be made available to each of such students. N700,000 out of this loan will be paid to the university as tuition fees while the balance will be available to the student as support towards his upkeep allowances.

    “Every university will now have the resources it requires to position itself as one of the leading universities in the world within the next 10 years of the operation of this system.

    The senior lawyer also observed that funding was not the sector’s only problem. He suggested that universities stop operating as a bureaucracy, while “outstanding performance must be rewarded appropriately by various university councils.”

    He also suggested that University Teaching Hospitals must be removed from the control of the Federal Ministry of Health so they can function as they were intended.

  • Has ASUU really gone mad again?

    Afriend put a call across to me and I could not believe what I heard. His voice in an exhilarating manner asked: Has ASUU gone mad again? I asked: “do you mean gone on strike?” With emphasis and now becoming impatient he said, I meant mad, mad. I repeat again, mad. This was the reaction of a parent to the ongoing ASUU strike in Nigeria and, as he dropped the phone, I asked myself: has ASUU really gone mad again? I reflected on the phrase “mad again”.  To be mad is a state of dementia, a psychological term that means a decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain causing memory loss. The word “again” refers to an action that is repeated several times over.

    Does ASUU fit into this description and, if yes, how? If one repeats the same action again and again, does that confer a semblance of insanity on the person?

    My friend may be right after all, going by what ASUU has been doing to tertiary education in Nigeria. It is on record that between 1999 and now ASUU has embarked on strike 13 times, with the period covered totaling two years, seven months and 19 days. And all of it is on the same so-called issue of revitalization of Nigerian universities through funding by the government. How come a union of intellectuals has been trying to call attention to the same issue using the same method for 19 years! What is clearly unfortunate is that ASUU members were paid their salaries and allowances for the entire period. The consequence is that strike has now been recognized as part of academic engagements in Nigeria. And each time ASUU embarks on strike, it is the students and their parents who shiver.

    Since ASUU members are supposed to comprise intelligentsia or eggheads, one would have expected a modification of their modus operandi over the years. Has ASUU as a body or collective reflected on why the strikes over the years have not produced the desired results? Have they examined the reasons why government does not listen to them whenever they come up with the threat of a strike? Why is it that ASUU demands have not changed from what it was 20 years ago? Without reflecting on all of these, ASUU has been squared within a space for years looking for solutions to the same problem through the same method. This kind of attitude can surely be described as madness.

    There, no doubt, are problems in our universities, but the same sad story can be told about all other aspects of Nigerian infrastructure – roads, hospitals, water supply, electricity, housing and many more. The situation is sad, clearly and one would have expected our academics to begin to take a holistic view of the situation, coming forward with informed positions on how to improve the conditions of life in the country. With so many universities and professors in Nigeria, the country ought to have been benefiting from the outcome of their researches over several years. As it seems however, only a fraction of all Nigerian academics pursue research that can benefit the nation. Instead of all these incessant strikes, could ASUU not have all these years thought of spearheading the organization of a national conference where all the problems confronting the nation, from politics, economy and education could be discussed and solutions proffered to them? But powerful ASUU will not do this. Rather, what the union has been doing is to continue to struggle to create a paradise in hell. To the union, it is only university education that needs revitalization. All other sectors can go to hell.

    In 2013, ASUU embarked on a long strike that led to the release of needs assessment funds to the universities. ASUU may claim that this money was not released to it as a union but one expects a union that went on strike for months in a bid to get the funds released to position itself in a way that will make it possible for it to monitor effectively how the funds would be spent. The government ought to have demanded from ASUU a report on the performance of such funds before signing an MOU to release more money to the universities. This has not been done. And right now, it is as if government has been hoodwinked by the shenanigans in ASUU.

    Funding is a necessity if our universities must make progress and truly become part of the world academic community and any government that fails to provide this is doing unquantifiable damage to the nation as a whole. This is because the universities would not be able to engage in cutting edge researches that can bring development to the nation. This has been the lot of Nigerian universities with government not allocating enough resources to the sector and thus making quality teaching and research impossible in all the universities. But ASUU’s response is also not right. Its response to government’s lackadaisical attitude to funding university education has been strikes, strikes and yet more strikes.  But can repeated ASUU strikes solve this problem?

    Members of the academic community should engage the government on meaningful dialogues about how to fund education at all levels in Nigeria. Academics should initiate a debate on how the resources of the country should be distributed so that political office holders will not always have the lion share while other important sectors continue to suffer. It is only people who know their onions, the academics, who should be highly respected in the country that can convoke this discussion, not the politicians, not taxi drivers and never the farmers. But how much respect do academics still command in the country? Are they reliable, efficient, effective and/or patriotic? How visionary are they, really? These are important questions. They are difficult to answer.

    This time calls for sober reflections on Nigeria as a nation and members of the academic community as a body should be in the forefront of looking for ways of tackling the huge socio- economic, cultural and political problems bedeviling the nation at the current moment. This is not the time for rebranding madness by declaring another strike. This method has not worked, and it cannot work.

     

    • Dr. Oripeloye is of Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. 

  • ASUU and new minimum wage

    SIR: AFTER a long drawn battle with threats of fire and brimstones, the organized labour suspended its proposed mass actions over their demand for a N30,000 minimum wage.  President Muhammadu Buhari warmly received the report of the tripartite committee of the national minimum wage. Even if the federal government accepted the offer as assumed, it has to follow due process particularly legislative actions to become effective. Obviously, the Nigerian workers deserve improved package far above the existing N18,000 benchmark. Whilst the heat was temporarily put under control, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) grounded academic activities by strike action. Again, the clamour is over workers welfare.

    Regrettably, the labour unions are never bothered about odd developments in the polity as their counterparts from other nations do. For example, each of the 109 senators in the senate merrily cruises home with outrageous N13.5million monthly running-cost separate from salaries and phantom constituency projects annually budgeted at N200 million that are never accounted for since 1999; Ditto at the House of Representatives with 360 members. Yet, the labour unions remain tight-lipped and unperturbed.

    One would have expected that the first action point would be to fight against sundry aberrations that have been crippling the economy especially the jumbo allowances federal lawmakers allocated to themselves. It cannot be a battle for the executive arm alone. Labour unions especially Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and host of others shouldn’t only heat up the polity exclusively for their workers’ welfares but must doggedly fight for the nation knowing that the executive alone may not be able to checkmate the excesses in the legislative arm without fracas.

    Until something is done to the bicameral legislature that Nigeria hurriedly copied from developed nations, wastages will continue to the detriment of economic progression and workers welfare.

    If the outrageous allowances allotted by lawmakers to themselves could be reviewed and properly channelled to the appropriate quarters, the government ought to be able to take care of its workforce even with a better package than the proposed minimum wage.  The bogus monthly allocations to the National Assembly can go a long way in boosting allocations to state governments to meet up with whatever proposed increments. Otherwise, the labour unions may endlessly be signing agreements or remain on queues for mass actions over improved workers’ welfare.

    The legislative arm has for years become a major drain pipe to the economy and therefore needs collaborative actions to overcome. Labour unions should sit up; as action groups, labour unions can competently fight for the welfare of the entire society knowing that good policies affect and improve the standard of living of all citizens, workers inclusive. In other societies, labour unions serve as the voice of the voiceless. It is through concerted and joint actions of stakeholders that some excesses in government especially the legislative arm could be checkmated knowing that any forceful attempts from the executive will always lead to squabbles irrespective of party affiliations. Labour can prioritize broad issues first in the society. That is patriotism. To quote Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), the 26th President of the USA, “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that, no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have”.

     

    • Carl Umegboro, <umegborocarl@gmail.com>

  • 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.

    Read Also: NYSC: DG cautions corps members’ against bribery

    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.

  • ASUU Strike paralyses Academic activities in UNIBEN

    As the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) enters its third day, academic activities at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in the Edo state capital have been paralysed.

    A Correspondent who monitored the compliance level and the effect of the strike on lecturers and students in Benin on Wednesday observed that the institution was unusually empty, as only a few persons were around the campus.

    The institution’s ASUU chairman, Prof Julius Iyasele, who spoke with, said that government’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians and public tertiary institutions in the country prompted the strike.

    Iyasele disclosed that other reasons for the strike were the under-development of tertiary institutions, the revitalization of the country’s education system, insecurity in the country, as well as the non-implementation of a previous agreement reached between the union and the federal government.

    He stressed that the government, after reaching agreement with the union, later reneged, adding that the union was now prepared to implement the Ghana model of not returning to work, until government does the needful.

    The UNIBEN ASUU chairman said that in most countries of the world today, tertiary education was free, as education was a public good and the pivot of every developing nation.

    “But here in Nigeria, we see a situation where government wants to take education beyond the reach of the common man.

    “The UNESCO budgetary standard for education is 26 per cent, but in Nigeria, we have moved from nine per cent in 2011 to six per cent, and we are saying no, we cannot continue like this.

    “The government wants public universities pauperized so that private universities can flourish, because most of them in government are proprietors of private universities.

    “For instance, Dr Wale Babalakin, the leader of the government negotiating team is building a private university; that is why he is fixated that government can’t fund tertiary institutions, and that is why ASUU is saying that Babalakin must step down as a representative of government,’’ he said.

    He, however, said that it was sad that government’s insensitivity was causing a setback to students and parents, adding that clearance for new students for the new academic session ought to have commenced on Monday at UNIBEN.

    “But we h ave directed all the students to go home, and they have gone home.’’

    Meanwhile, Mr Sunday Ogheneyore, a 400-level Economics and Statistics student at the institution has lamented the ongoing strike.

    According to him, “I am supposed to be doing my project work, but I can’t do that now due to the strike. The irony is that I don’t even know when it would be called off.

    “As it is now, I don’t know whether to go get a job somewhere and be working first or not,’’ he noted.

    Similarly, Miss Jacinta Ikediuwa, another student of the institution, said it was sad that government was playing politics with the education and the future of her youth.

    ASUU announced an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday over the non-implementation of its memorandum of Action (MOA) signed with the Federal Government.

    The association’s National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the strike would involve all federal and state-owned institutions.

  • Strike: We have fully complied – Unilag ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), University of Lagos Chapter, has ensured total compliance with the strike directive given by the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

    The Chairman of the chapter, Dr Dele Ashiru, made the disclosure in an interview with our reporter on Wednesday in Lagos.

    He said that the chapter held a congress on Tuesday during which members resolved to join in the industrial action.

    The ASUU NEC on Sunday declared a nationwide indefinite strike at a meeting at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.

    The union is protesting poor funding of public universities, non-implementation of the 2009 agreement it entered into with the Federal Government.

    It is also protesting alleged government plans to introduce tuition fees and an education bank.

    According to Ashiru, the strike directive has been carried out fully in the institution.

    “We have achieved 100 per cent compliance with the directive handed to us by the union’s executives,” he said.

    On the appeal to ASUU by the Federal Government to shelve the strike and return for negotiation, Ashiru said that the plea was late.

    “Government’s appeal is coming late because we gave them more than six months’ notice prior to our action.

    “We even addressed the press on this, begging the government to see reasons with us, but it refused.

    “Now, we have reached a point of `no return’ until government meets our demands substantially,” the unionist said.

    Students of the institution are on vacation and were slated to resume studies on Nov. 18 for the first semester of the 2018/2019 session.

    NAN

  • ASUU: OAU students confused as lecturers split on strike

    Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife have been thrown into confusion following conflicting directives on the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) .

    The Branch Chairman of the union, Adeola Egbedokun, in an interview reiterated the stance of the national body that the strike is total.

    “The strike is total. No teaching, no exam, no statutory functions. We are not doing anything except observation of the National Body.

    “We hereby tell our students that we love them and we don’t want to lose any of them at the cause of anything that may happen during the industrial action”

    However, lecturers of same university under the Congress of Nigerian Universities Academic (CONUA) have vowed to continue the running of day to day activities in the school.

    “We can’t generally be part of what we are not privy to. We were not taken into consideration; we were approached on the issue. So, we can’t be part of the strike. Our members still respect statutory duties”, said Niyi Sunmonu, the chairman of CONUA.

    The national strike was declared on Sunday by ASUU national president, Biodun Ogunyemi after the National Executive Council meeting at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State.

    All academic staff of universities were directed to withdraw their services immediately.

    He disclosed that the strike became necessary due to failure

  • Govt ’can’t meet ASUU’s demand now’

    University teachers yesterday got some bad news. Their request for increased funding of universities cannot be met now, the Federal Government said.

    It was reacting to the “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike” declared by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday after its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

    Minister of Education Adamu Adamu told reporters in Abuja that the teachers should show understanding with the government.

    He said: ”I must say that this is difficult to reconcile with all the efforts and positive achievements we have been able to make.

    “The Issues necessitating this strike date back to 2009 when the then government of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua signed an agreement with the ASUU on funding of the federal universities.

    “The agreement provided for funding of universities to the tune of N1.3trillion over a period of six years. It is instructive to know that Nigeria was experiencing the oil boom at that time. It was, therefore, expected that government will be able to meet the terms of agreement.

    “However, international oil prices crashed in subsequent years, thereby throwing the country into economic hardship. At the inception of this administration, the country’s economic fortunes worsened, nose diving into recession, with dire consequences on all sectors of the economy, including education.

    “We exited recession not too long ago, and we are just beginning to recover from the consequences of low oil prices, which are happily beginning to pick up.

    “If this trend continues, definitely, the education sector will also improve. In other words, the wellbeing of the education sector and any other sector of the country’s economy is a function of the international oil prices; this is the stack reality for now, which all of us must acknowledge and accept.”

    The minister urged parents, ASUU and students to exercise restraint in their response to the education sector.

    He said the union should be mindful of the fact that other sectors of the economy were competing with similar financial needs.

    ASUU’s strike is hinged on delays in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) the government agreed to in 2017, including to compel the government to conclude the renegotiation of other agreements also collectively reached in 2009.

    ASUU National President Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, announcing the commencement of the strike, had re-echoed the insincerity of the government in meeting its demands.

    Ogunyemi said: “Having waited patiently for action and meaningful negotiation with reasonable men using the principle of collective bargaining that ASUU at its NEC meeting of 3rd and 4th November 2018 at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) resolved to resume the nationwide strike suspended in September 2017 with immediate effect.

    “This strike will be total comprehensive and indefinite. Our members shall withdraw their services until government fully implements all outstanding issues as contained in the MOA of 2017, and concludes the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements.”

    The strike received mixed reactions on its first day yesterday. It was effective in Lagos but failed to take off in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The Chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, Dr Dele Ashiru, said lecturers would join the strike.

    The strike was on at the Lagos State University (LASU).

    Dr Ashiru said the UNILAG chapter had joined the strike even though as at the time The Nation spoke with him, the university was on holiday and he was yet to brief members about the ASUU NEC meeting he attended where the decision to start the strike was taken.

    Speaking at the UNILAG ASUU Secretariat, Ashiru said: “The University of Lagos chapter has joined the strike that we suspended in November 2017.  The strike is comprehensive, total and indefinite.  I have just returned from the NEC in Akure; I have scheduled an EXCO meeting for 1pm where we will deliberate on the issues raised at the NEC.  After that, we will call a congress tomorrow (Tuesday).”

    Ashiru justified the strike, saying the union had given the Federal Government enough time to fulfill the 2009 Agreement between both parties, which was due for re-negotiation in 2013.  He said of the N1.3 trillion the government ought to have provided for the revitalisation of infrastructure in public universities, only N200 billion had been paid.  He said the money was meant to improve facilities in public universities.  He also said the government was owing ASUU members earned academic allowances.

    “Our union entered an agreement since 2009.  Only specific part of the agreement was implemented.  In 2012, there was a Memorandum of Agreement; in 2013, there was another Memorandum of Agreement.   The government promised to inject N1.3 trillion into the university system.  It has not been done.  The Jonathan government paid N200 billion.  Only recently, when the government realised we were mobilising for strike that they lied that they released N20 billion to ASUU, which was not true.  From 2013 to date, our members have not been paid earned academic allowances,” Ashiru said.

    Read also: ASUU begins indefinite nationwide strike

    The Lagos State University (LASU) chapter of the union also announced it had joined the strike.

    “ASUU-LASU is fully on strike.  Once the national ASUU declares a strike, we have no option but to join.  It is not a matter of choice,” said Dr Tony Dansu, Secretary, ASUU-LASU, on phone.

    Mr Samuel Olalere, President, LASU Students Union (LASUSU), told NAN that the strike had not fully began on the campus because ASUU-LASU chapter was yet to hold its congress.

    LASU Vice Chancellor Prof. Lanre Fagbohun appealed to ASUU to eschew anger and consider the Buhari administration’s plea as the problem emanated from previous governments.

    “The issue at hand did not happen overnight. The problems have been there for so many years.

    “So ASUU must show some understanding in the way they articulate and insist on some of these issues,” Fagbohun said, adding:

    “The problem requires the understanding of all the parties; government must continuously show sincerity of purposes in the negotiation.

    “Rather than allow a breakdown of the system, we should consider an incremental gain.

    “Our young adults and educational institutions will suffer once there is a breakdown of the system. We should therefore not allow us eventually lose what we are trying to protect.”

    Lectures were on at the University of Ilorin (UNILORI) and the Kwara State University (KWASU).

    IEarlier in the day at UNILORIN, some students expressed apprehension when their teachers failed to show up in class but it was learnt that the lecturers were at a meeting.

    Since most students were just returning to school after the long vacation and the school’s convocation ceremonies, the premises was brimming with a large number of them yesterday. Some of them pleaded against the strike.

    UNILORIN in the last 17 years has not participated in any strike called by the parent body of the union.

    UNILORIN ASUU Chairman Dr Usman Raheem reportedly said the institution’s branch of ASUU did not join the strike because the parent body failed to communicate the information to his executive.

    At KWASU, officials said there was no reason for the teachers to join the strike. “We are fully in session; we are not on strike,”  two officials at the school’s Public Relations Unit told our reporter. They asked not to be named since there was no authorisation to speak yet on the issue.

    There were not lectures  at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).

    The offices and lecture rooms were deserted.

    Some students were moving out of the campus with their luggage.

    The chairman, FUTA branch of ASUU, Dr Bola Oluya, said the union would hold its congress today and formally declare its decision to join the strike thereafter.

    However, the situation was different at the state-owned Adekunle Ajasin University,Akungba-Akoko(AAUA). The teachers were yet to join the strike.

    Our correspondent learnt that semester examination was on going.

    A lecturer who spoke in confidence said AAUA chapter of ASUU would soon call its congress to decide whether to join the strike or not.