The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • ‘Jonathan, end ASUU strike now’

    ‘Jonathan, end ASUU strike now’

    The Prelate and Moderator of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Prof. Emele Mba Uka has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to do all within his constitutional authority to see that students in the tertiary institutions return to school immediately.

    He condemned the lingering strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which was occasioned by government’s refusal to honour its 2009 agreement with the body.

    The cleric who addressed reporters in Calabar, Cross River State, said that whatever it would cost the government to resolve the present impasse in the university system would be a worthy investment in securing the future of the nation.

    He stated that no responsible government anywhere in the world would allow students who are the future leaders of the nation to remain idle for over five months for no cause of theirs.

    “The more they remain at home,” he said, “the more they become the devil’s workshop. The situation could cause incalculable damage to the future of the nation in terms of the incidence of crime and social vices…

    “Besides,” the Prelate continued, “the quality of education in Nigeria is very low because of lack of infrastructure and equipment, poor motivation of teachers and poor remuneration. It is time the government took concrete steps to reverse this ugly trend in order to restore confidence in the Nigerian education system.”

  • PDP’s Greek gift

    PDP’s Greek gift

    SIR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Edo State has cashed in on a law enforcement situation which relates to a widow in the new Benin axis of the city to haul underserved diatribes on Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    For months running, Edo State government had, through all known media gone out to inform citizens, particularly petty traders not to display their wares on the roads and the walk ways. It wasn’t even a case of ignorance of the law. Even in civilised climes,  ignorance of the law is not an excuse to breach the law.The matter was even made worse when even War Against Indiscipline and Neighbourhood Watch officials engaged to enforce government order on the ban on display of wares on the road and walkways abdicated their responsibility, necessitating in the Governor having to take the bull by the horns. If developed societies were left to run on the fringes of charity, pity and compromise, no country of the world would have been developed.

    Displaying wares on the roads, apart from exposing such items to unhygienic conditions, exposes the traders to greater danger as a fast-moving vehicle could ram into them and lead to more unpleasant situations. Edo PDP and those who toe their line of argument should not shy away from this truth. It is therefore of the essence to make Edo people understand why the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

    Politicising the governor’s encounter with the widow by offering her N250,000, therefore is incomprehensible and condemnable. It smacks of holding on to any available straw to escape drowning. To say the least, they  are wicked, garrulous, weird, and satanic to have included such an encounter of the widow in their political calculations.

    If Edo PDP was as caring and loving as they want unsuspecting members of the public to begin to believe, they should start with restitution. All they looted from Edo people in over 10 locust years they governed the state should be returned to citizens. That is when Edo people would begin to take them seriously. But if they cannot, Edo citizens should see their politics with the widow as a flash in the pan.

    Look at what is happening at the federal level today-the Oduagate, massive corruption in the oil and gas sector, unending ASUU strike as a result of broken promises. That is why Edo people should not be carried away with PDP’s Greek Gift to the widow. It is a gift with all potentials to purge the receiver.

     

    • Dan Owegie

    Benin City

  • ASUU should resist FG’s threat

    ASUU should resist FG’s threat

    SIR: It is heart-rending that President Jonathan’s regime has thrown all caution to the winds in its unabated offensive against the mass of working people in the latest round of attacks on democratic rights. The most bizarre is the ultimatum issued to the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to resume on or before December 9.It would be recalled that ASUU has embarked on indefinite strike to press home the demands for the full implementation of the 2009 Agreement reached with the Federal Government on improved funding of the universities to enhance better learning and working conditions in the universities.

    The Jonathan regime has equally demonstrated its deep disregard for democratic rights by deploying the officers of the Nigerian Police in an aberrant militarization of the campuses. To this has been added the cash-and-carry mobilization of rotten renegades in the students’ movement to undermine the struggle of the university lecturers.

    It would be necessary to attempt to remedy the grave ignorance of the Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who possibly need to be reminded of the fundamentals of labour laws in Nigeria. It is trite law that the legal right of ASUU as a trade union to strike on the conditions of service of its members has statutory flavour. Therefore a mass sack threat amount to a legal nullity. The Federal Government is in breach of the principle of collective bargaining.

    While the members of ASUU need to be commended, they must remain steadfast as their struggle is genuine and pro-labour/students. However, the struggle has exceeded ASUU alone as the Jonathan regime has had the day with its rough-shod on democratic rights which have seen a wave of repression of peaceful assemblies and exercise of freedom of association.

    What is urgently needed is a concerted mass mobilization strategy involving all genuine pro-labour organizations in the workers’ and students’ movement as well as the trade unions to embark on a series of street protests and demonstrations to resist the planned mass retrenchment of university lecturers, militarization of university campuses and attacks on democratic rights.

    • Ayo’ Ademiluyi

    Agege, Lagos

  • Elechi to NASS: Proscribe ASUU now

    Elechi to NASS: Proscribe ASUU now

    Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday called for the immediate proscription of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by the National Assembly.

    The Governor made the call in Abakaliki the state capital during a chat with media practitioners in the state.

    He blasted the National Assembly for failing to proscribe the body in the past.

    Elechi also accused the union of deliberately sabotaging the government and country with incessant strikes.

    He described the current strike action by the union as unfortunate and warned that the strike could have dire consequences on the country’s security.

    He said,” I blame the National Assembly for not proscribing ASUU. That union is due for proscription. The way they are going about the strike is sabotage.

    “The ASUU strike is unfortunate, I hope that common sense will prevail. If you say a lot is lacking in the university you are correct, but it is like that in almost all other sectors of the country.

    “The major victims of the strike are not government but the students. When you go on strike you have to be reasonable so that you do not destroy everything.

    “The strike could have dire consequences on the security of the country. The National Assembly should be blamed for not proscribing ASUU. The union is due for proscription. The way they are going is sabotage.”

     

  • Strike: ASUU declares three-day fasting, prayer

    Strike: ASUU declares three-day fasting, prayer

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday declared a three day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention in the protracted dispute between the Federal Government and the union.

    The decision to embark on spiritual intervention came during the union congress held at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.

    The congress which was presided over by the Chairman of UI chapter of ASUU, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, stressed the need for God to help Nigerian leaders to do the needful and document the resolutions of their meeting with the President.

    The congress which expressed optimism that the strike will end soon listed three prayer points to include: “the need for God to touch the heart of the Federal government to be committed towards funding public education and develop the nation.

    They also asked God to protect the leadership of ASUU as they travel and that the purpose of the strike is actualized by placing universities in the league of world class institutions.”

    Speaking after the congress, Dr. Ajiboye said the union does not need newspaper confirmation from the president that N200billion has been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    He said it was impossible for anybody who has not opened an account with a bank to request the bank for a balance.

    While urging the federal government to be serious about the future of the country, the don accused the government of “still keeping the students at home.”

    He said the union has the machinery to suspend the strike within 24 hours once the grey areas in the resolutions have been sorted out by the federal government.

     

     

  • NLC writes presidency on ASUU strike

    NLC writes presidency on ASUU strike

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made another move to intervene in the impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government.

    The Acting General Secretary of the union, Mr. Chris Uyot, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the union had written a letter to the Presidency.

    “The leadership of NLC has written a letter to the Presidency seeking leave to intervene in the crisis which is now in its sixth month.

    “We have sent a letter to the presidency today, December 9. We want to intervene in this matter.

    “The turn of events is causing a lot of disaffection which can easily be resolved, that is if the government is willing to talk about it,” Uyot said.

    Uyot said that NLC President Abdulwahed Omar met with the leadership of ASUU in Abuja as a preliminary step to articulate their position before meeting with the Presidency when invited.

     

     

  • Strike: Varsities’ lecturers defy FG’s directive on resumption

    Strike: Varsities’ lecturers defy FG’s directive on resumption

    Lecturers in Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, have resolved to continue with the ongoing nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    The Federal Government had directed all federal universities to end the six-month-old strike and resume work on Monday.

    The university’s ASUU Chairman, Mr. Augustine Ndaghu, made the disclosure on Monday in Yola in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Ndaghu said majority of the more than 300 members of the union in the university who attended the latest meeting voted overwhelmingly for continuation of the strike.

    He said “with this development, our members will not respond to the government’s directive to resume work.

    “In fact, none of our members has signed the register to resume work.

    “Ours is a peaceful strike as far as nobody will attempt to force us back to class to go and teach.’’

    The ASUU Chairman of Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi, Mr. Molem Ishaku, said lecturers in the institution had also agreed to continue the strike.

    He said “in the first place, it was not the government that told us to go on strike and therefore it should not insist that we must go back to work.’’

    Commenting on the development, the Protocol and Information Officer of MAUTECH, Malam Mustafa Migawa, said the university had received Federal Government circular regarding the opening of the university and had commenced implementation.

    Migawa said forms had been sent to the various departments of the school to be filled by lecturers who wish to resume work.

     

     

  • Lecturers, ASUU officials clash at UNIBEN

    Lecturers, ASUU officials clash at UNIBEN

    •Southwest zone adamant

    Lecturers at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) are divided over whether to resume work following the expiration of the Federal Government’s ultimatum.

    Registers were opened at different faculties of public universities.

    Most of the registers were empty but at the Faculty of Law, some lecturers had signed up.

    Over 30 lecturers had indicated interest to begin lectures.

    A near free-for-all was avoided when members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) attempted to stop one Dr. Godspower Ekhobase of the Computer Science Department from taking his students.

    Sources said Dr. Godspower refused to listen to the union leadership when they asked him to stop and it led to a fracas.

    The source said when the students moved to join Dr. Godspower, ASUU members led by its Chairman, Dr. Tony Emina-Monye, beat a retreat.

    Contacted on the telephone, Dr. Monye said the lecturer was violent when they got to the lecture hall.

    Dr. Monye said a former chairman of ASUU was gripped on the shirt by Dr. Godspower before the students made their move.

    Dr. Monye said: “We are disregarding the ultimatum and threat of sack by the Government. We are still on strike and none of our members has signed any register to resume work. We will continue with the strike until otherwise directed by the union’s national secretariat of the union.

    The Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprising the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago – Iwoye, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, again defied the Government’s directive to resume yesterday.

    Also, students, who had been away for over five months, failed to return, indicating that they were convinced their lecturers would not budge until the government met their demands.

    At the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, classrooms, hostels and the libraries were deserted.

    At FUNAAB, the ASUU Chairman, Dr Abiodun Badmus, told reporters that the government’s order amounted to an “empty threat and of no effect.

    Also, Dr Adesola Nassir, restated the resolve of the Ibadan Zone of ASUU to remain on strike.

    Nassir said: “We just want Nigerians to know that ASUU is not going to be cowed, we are very strict as to the reason why we embarked on strike, we want our universities to be repositioned so that they can churn out the type of graduates that would fit into roles that will power the development of this country,

    “It didn’t take government up to a year to infuse over N2 trillion into the banks that are privately owned, that same government should not find it difficult to inject this amount of money into universities that are publicly owned.”

  • ASUU to Jonathan: no deal without letter signed agreement

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has  insisted that its members would not return to class until the Federal Government responds to its letter requesting it to put its promises to fund the universities in writing and sign it for future reference.

    The National Treasurer of the union, Dr Ademola Aremu, disclosed this while speaking with our correspondent on telephone on Sunday.

    Aremu said there can not be any meaningful progress until the government responds to the letter, stressing that ASUU’s request was the collective decision of members across the country and not the decision of the national leadership.
    The unionist waved aside the announcement by the Federal Government that it had deposited a large sum of money to meet the demand of ASUU with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He said the proper way of communication with the union should be through a letter confirming the signing of the new agreement it reached with the lecturers.

    Describing government’s announcement as a mark of insincerity, Aremu said that the only way it can take government seriously on the issue is a letter confirming the signing of the agreement.

    He said: “When we finished negotiation with the President, we promised to go and brief our members and communicate the popular decision of the union to his office. That was exactly what we did. The collective decision of members was that the government should put its proposal in black and white and sign it properly.
    “So, if government wants to communicate with us, it should simply respond to the letter, not announcing through the media that certain amount of money was already with the CBN. That is not proper. We don’t believe that is a fair treatment.”

    On the ultimatum, Aremu said it was a threat that can not intimidate any lecturer that is worth his salt.
    “Any academic that is not an intellect work, that is actually an intellectual will not be intimidated  by the threat. Nobody can humiliate you when you are fighting a just cause.” He said.

  • Iyayi laid to rest

    Iyayi laid to rest

    •Edo names school after him

    The Ugbegun Grammar School in Ugbegun, Edo State, home town of the late Professor Festus Iyayi is to be rebuilt and named after him by the Edo State government.

    The plan, according to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, is to immortalise the former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who was laid to rest yesterday.

    Iyayi died last month in a motor accident on the outskirts of Lokoja, Kogi State, while on his way to Kano for a meeting of the National Executive Council of the union.

    Speaking at a reception held at the school yesterday after the burial, Oshiomhole also said a water scheme would be constructed at Ugbegun and named after the deceased to remind the people about him and what he fought for.

    The governor said: “Some of the things we can remember about the late Iyayi are his consistency, commitment and doggedness and he paid the ultimate sacrifice. He lived and died in the struggle and therefore we can say in truth that the struggle was his life.

    “We celebrate that God used him and his colleagues in ASUU such that today in every home the issue of the state of education is on the front burner. It will no longer be convenient to downgrade the issue of education and because the future of a country is defined by its education and its human capital, what Iyayi and his colleagues have done and are doing is to put our future on discourse,” he said.

    He added: “how do we remember him? How do we immortalise his name? When I visited his family house this morning (yesterday), I said since Iyayi was also a contributor to how a worker could become the governor of Edo State, now that a worker is now the governor of the state, this community of Ugbegun, by next Monday I will deploy one of our industrial rigs to provide a water scheme which will be named as Festus Iyayi Water Scheme for the benefit of the people of this community.

    “Iyayi struggled for the proper position of education and education is only about nations. The people of Edo State will agree with me that one of the areas that government has tried to make a difference is rebuilding public schools that are as attractive as any private school in the state.

    “I also want therefore that this school called Ugbegun Secondary School beginning with the new budget which begins in January and by the special grace of God not later than February, we would have passed through all the processes and we will build this school to the new standard of Edo State. The school will be renamed Festus Iyayi Memorial Secondary School.”

    The reception was graced by the President of ASUU, Dr Nasir Fagge, INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, two other former Presidents of ASUU, Dr Oladipo Fashina, and Dr Abdullahi Sule-Kano, Senator Odion Ugbesia, member of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpattasson, ASUU Chairmen and members from across universities in the country, among others.