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Tag: ASUU

ASUU leaders meet on national strike

The national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may meet today in Kano to decide whether or not to end its four-month-old strike.

The meeting was planned following the Federal Government’s offers to the union to return to the clasasroom. But the death of one of the union’s leaders, Prof Festus Iyayi, yesterday, may cause the postponement of the Kano meeting.

The ASUU leadership, last week, met with the Fedral Government, led by President Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, however, ended in a stalemate, as the union did not end the strike.

ASUU’s National President Dr Nasir Fagge told State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting that he needed to consult various chapters of the union before he would make a statement on the strike.

As the union met in Kano yesterday, hopes were high that it would end the action.

The University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of ASUU, which voted against ending the four-month-old strike, has said it would resume classes, if directed by the national body.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter also voted in favour of ending the strike.

The Chairman of the UNIJOS chapter, Dr. David Jangdam, spoke yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

He said: “Yes, the local ASUU chapter voted 159 to 88 against ending the strike at its congress on Monday, but we shall abide by any decision taken by the national body on Wednesday.”

ASUU’s central body is expected to meet in Kano today to take a final decision on whether or not to end the strike after collating resolutions from various local branches, which considered the offer by President Goodluck Jonathan during their congresses on Monday.

Jonathan, at a meeting in Abuja, had made the offers to persuade the lecturers to end their strike.

The lecturers are seeking better funding for the universities and improved welfare packages for the teaching staff.

Jangdam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that the decision of the national body was final and binding on all local chapters.

He said: “Even the strike was not supported by all the universities. Many local chapters of ASUU opposed it, but majority wanted it and we embarked on it.”

The Chairman of the UNILAG branch, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, could not be reached for comments on the outcome of the union’s meeting.

But a member of the union, who spoke in confidence, said the lecturers agreed to suspend the strike.

He said: “We are calling off the strike. We have sent our referendum to the national leaders of the union so they will collate the results and decide what to do…”

November 13, 2013
Varsity teachers divided over strike

Varsity teachers met yesterday on the campuses to discuss President Goodluck Jonathan’s offer to end their more than four months strike.

According to the operating guidelines of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the local chapters are expected to vote on whether they agreed with the proposal and that the strike should end or whether they disapproved and the strike should continue.

Decisions reached on the various campuses are to be taken to tomorrow’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which will take a decision after aggregating the opinions.

Opinions were divided yesterday, although many ASUU chapters failed to disclose their decisions.

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State University (LASU), University of Calabar (UNICAL), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Federal University of Technology Minna and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapters voted that the strike should end. Some of them, however, gave conditions.

The University of Jos (UNIJOS), the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Nasarawa State University chapters voted that the strike should continue.

UNIJOS chapter chairman Dr. David Jankam said members did not see any substance in the dialogue with the Federal Government to warrant calling off the strike.

He said: “We have just rounded off our meeting. As a matter of fact, our members voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the strike.

“I can also confirm to you that five of the eight universities that make up the Bauchi Zone of ASUU have also voted for continuation of the strike, and the general saying is that the government has not shown any commitment so far.

“We started the meeting by briefing our members on issues resolved with the Federal Government in the last meeting with the president of ASUU.

“But in responding to the briefing, our members observed that the main issues that led to the strike were not discussed at the Aso Rock meeting.

“As such, my members said President Jonathan is taking them for a ride by trying to divert attention from the core subjects of the strike.”

Jankam went on: “I will now convey the resolve of our branch to our national president at the NEC meeting tomorrow.”

Shedding light on how the meeting will decide the mater, he said: “If the majority of the chapters vote for its end, it will be called off, but if majority of chapters vote for continuation, so be it.”

The congress of the Union at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna was divided, with majority of the members supporting the suspension of the action. Others would want it suspended with some conditions met by the government.

The minority demanded that in calling off the action, the leadership of the union should insist that no member is victimised for his roles in the strike. They also insisted that government should indicate in the final agreement that the 2009 agreement was due for negotiation and the payment of the balance of their academic earned allowances.

As soon as Dr. Fatai Jimoh briefed the congress of the outcome of the meeting between President Jonathan and the union, the house was divided, with the majority of the members pushing for suspension.

The few dissenting voices argued that the union should not fall prey to the government’s ploy. They cautioned that the union cannot take the government for its word, maintaining that if the union had to embark on a strike after series of correspondences and strike in 2011 that led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012 were not honoured.

But majority of the university teachers said the plight of the students and their parents should be considered.

After an exhaustive debate, the congress directed its chairman to convey to the National Executive Council meeting holding tomorrow at the Bayero University in Kano that the union could consider suspending the action, but insisted that the three conditions be met.

Chapter chairman Dr. Fatai Jimoh, who initially refused to divulge the outcome of the congress, later said: “I have the mandate to take the decision of the congress to NEC. But, if you insist to know, majority of our members called for the suspension of the strike but with the government fulfilling three conditions.

“Don’t ask me the conditions, because we don’t want it yet in the public domain. All I can tell you is that the strike is still on, until the NEC of the union decides otherwise.”

The chapter chairman also refused to assess the impact of the action. He said: “As long as NEC has not suspended the action, it will be premature to assess the success or otherwise of the action. When the strike is called off, I’ll give my candid assessment.”

At Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, ASUU chair Comrade Yahaya Badeggi said: “The congress at IBBU Lapai resolved that the strike continues until when the National Executive Council of the union decides otherwise. We know they are still negotiating. We shall abide by the decision of NEC.”

On the gains of the action, Badeggi said: “I make bold to say that the action has produced some positive results. From the N100 billion released, our university got N450 million. This would not have been so but for the strike. I believe that at the end of the day, the university system will be better for it.”

The following are the decisions at the various ASUU chapters on the strike.

•University of Benin (UNIBEN). Members unanimously voted for the strike to continue because the Federal Government’s offer omitted some vital segments of the 2009 agreement;

•University of Lagos (UNILAG) teachers want suspension of strike, but will await further directive from the national body after meeting tomorrow in Kano;

•University of Calabar (UNICAL) lecturers voted for the suspension of the strike;

Nasarawa State University, Keffi. ASUU chair Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said: “I can assure you that all members present at the congress today wanted the strike to continue because the documents from the government failed to address the grey areas in contention. We believe there is nothing practicable in the government’s offer, even with the N200 billion it promised to release. Before we can suspend the strike, all unpaid salaries of our colleagues must be paid and there must be solid assurance from the government that no member will be victimised after the strike is eventually suspended;

•Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When the issue was put to vote, the majority of members wanted an end to the strike, with the agreement that the government must sign a binding document on how it will release the N1.2 trillion it promised to release. They promised to abide by the decision of the NEC in Kano;

•Delta State University (DELSU) members want suspension of the strike.

•Ekiti State University (EKSU) lecturers would not disclose the outcome of the congress until after the NEC meeting tomorrow;

•Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH). The ASUU local chairman said he would not disclose the outcome of the congress but a lecturer who attended the congress said members were okay with the offer of the government and wanted the strike to end;

•Lagos State University (LASU) chapter supports the strike suspension.

A source who is from ASUU-LASU executive, but pleaded not to be mentioned, said the chapter only gave certain conditions under which the strike should be suspended.

November 12, 2013
UNIJOS lecturers vote for continuation of strike

Lecturers at the University of Jos have voted for continuation of the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) in the country.

Chairman of the chapter, Dr. David Jankam who made this known on Monday while speaking with THE NATION shortly after the congress of the chapter said members did not see any substance in the dialogue with the federal government to warrant calling off the strike.

According to Dr Jankam, “We have just rounded off our meeting, as a matter of fact our members voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the state strike.

“I can also confirm to you that five of the eight universities that made up the Bauchi Zone of ASUU has also voted for continuation of the strike, and the general saying is that the federal government has not shown any commitment so far.

“We started the meeting by briefing our members on issues resolved with the federal government in their last meeting with the president of ASUU.

“But in responding to the briefing, our members observed that the main issues that led to the strike were not discussed as part of the meeting in Aso Rock.

“As such my members said president Jonathan is taking them for a ride by trying to divert attention from the core subjects of the strike”

According to Dr. Jankam, “I will now convey the resolve of our branch to our national president in our NEC meeting scheduled for this week. If the majority of the chapter voted for call off, it will ne called off, but if majority of chapters voted for continuation, so be it” said Dr. Jankam.

November 11, 2013
Waiting for ASUU

I would have been surprised if leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the end of last Monday’s meeting in Aso Rock with federal government officials had announced an immediate call off of their over four-month old strike.

Considering the previous reactions of the government, the indications were that notwithstanding the desperation to end the embarrassing strike, not all the requests of the union would be granted. My fear was that the negotiations that dragged into the early hours of Tuesday could be deadlocked and the hope of a quick resolution of the crisis would be dashed again.

Thankfully the leaders did not emerge from the meeting angry and as expected they have agreed to consult their members on the government’s offer which even if they were comfortable with still need the approval of members of the union.

With the strike having lasted for this long, it is understandable why many are eager to have it called off if possible immediately after the meeting. However not been the first time government is giving the union it’s words and failing to honour it as it is the case in the non implementation of the controversial 2009 agreement the union have to take its time to digest whatever the government is promising this time and get a firm commitment.

It’s rather unfortunate that the crisis had to degenerate to this level and one can only hope that the government is really committed to not only in meeting ASUU’s demands but taking necessary steps to enhance the standard of education in the country at all levels.

Apart from the Universities, other education institutions have also suffered years of neglect and unfulfilled promises. There are still many unresolved disputes with teachers in Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and others that should not be given less attention as it has been done with the ASUU strike.

Whatever offer the federal government made last Monday could have been made before now and it didn’t need to have given the impression that it has to be fought to a standstill before doing the right thing. I would not be surprised if some other workers in future insist on presidential intervention to resolve labour issues.

As ASUU members meet to deliberate over the government’s offer, I join other Nigerians in pleading for the call off of the strike. Once again, they have to give the government the benefit of the doubt if not for any other reason but for the sake of the students who are the ones bearing the brunt of this crisis.

We are all witnesses to this new agreement and this time around the government cannot deny making a commitment to pay what is due to university lecturers. For lecturers to be at their best, they have to be well remunerated and be given all allowances due to them.

A Professor in a text response to my last column said in his 25 years of being a researcher he has not got N1 as research grant. This is how bad the bad the situation is and the time to redress it is now or never.

The lecturers have indeed fought a good fight for quality education in the country for which posterity will remember them.

November 10, 2013
Strike: University lecturers meet on Monday

Lecturers of the government owned universities will on Monday hold a referendum to decide on the continuation of the four-month long Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

It was learnt that Local chapters of the union in each campuses have invited members for the crucial meeting for during which they will be briefed on the outcome of the 13- hour long meeting ASUU Executives had with the President Goodluck Jonathan and other officials of the federal government.

The briefing will be followed by votes by the members in favour or against the continuation of the
strike.

Though some members of the union are still skeptical about the promise of the government there are indications that the referendum will favour ending the strike.

According to a union member, referendum is always conducted before a strike is embarked upon or called off.

The ASUU embarked on a strike to demand the implementation of the 2009 agreement with government on July 1.

November 8, 2013
Group to ASUU: shelve strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been urged to end its over four-month-old strike and return to the classroom for the sake of their students.

A youth group, Comrade O. O. Daniels Foundation, made the call in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital during an event on youth sensitisation on good governance in Nigeria.

Founder of the Foundation, Comrade Okorie Onyekachi Daniels in his address urged ASUU to take into consideration the plight of the youths and their parents who he said are the ones bearing the effect of the protracted strike.

Daniels, a former president of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU), said the union should give the Federal Government time to fulfill its part of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement.

He said, “The industrial action has affected the youths and also the parents who pay their school fees and also the entire country. We appeal to ASUU to call off the strike.

“This is the first time since the agreement that the federal government has come up with a road map and also made approvals. So ASUU should go back and start something the money already approved and give the FG sometime so that by next fiscal year adequate provisions can be made in budget to address their concerns.”

While commending the youths for being law abiding and peaceful since the strike started, Daniel also charged them to contribute positively to the development of the state and country.

November 7, 2013
ASUU strike: Thieves invade Nasarawa varsity

When the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike is called off, students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) will be shocked on their return to school. Reason: Their hostels have been invaded by burglars and petty thieves. Properties in off-campus hostels are being carted away by the thieves suspected to be students and members of the university’s host community.

Hostels in Students’ Village, Ungwan Lambu and High Court areas, where many students reside have become a safe haven for the thieves, who invade students’ rooms daily.

When CAMPUSLIFE visited those places last week, rugs, carpets, mattresses, television set, home theatres, gas cookers, fans and wall clocks had disappeared from there. The doors to many of the invaded rooms were left open.

Finding revealed that more than 30 rooms were burgled. The thieves broke the doors and windows to enter the rooms. There were signs of broken ceilings, indicating that some of the intruders may be living in those buildings.

Worst hit are Transport Lodge, Pinnacle House, Jarkasa Palace, New Jersy House, Ta’al House, Green House, Mambila House and Celebrity Lodge.

Ruth Maga, a 200-Level Geography student, whose room was stripped bare, told our correspondents: “A neighbour called to inform that the door to my room had been broken and some of my property stolen. I could not believe it until I got here. As you can see, nothing is left in the room except the photos I pasted on the wall; even my cooking pots and stove were stolen. I wonder if the police are patrolling this area. Two other rooms in my hostel are also broken. My fear is, how do I start buying these items again when school resumes going by the current economic situation? I don’t know what the landlord association is doing about this”

Baba Idris, the ward head of Angwan Lambu, blamed the incident on security lapses, saying there was no police patrol in the night when the criminals operated. “You see, when the students were in school, there was an arrangement which brought together students, local youths and police. They always went on patrol at night around Angwan Lambu and High Court areas. Through this arrangement, there were fewer cases of robbery and burglary.

“But now that the students are not in school, the police no longer come here; our youths cannot carry out the task alone. I will advise that students should come and pack their belongings till the time the strike will be called off.”

A security guard, who did not want his name in print, said strangers visited the areas from time to time, claiming that outsiders were the perpetrators. “Every day, strange faces come around and I suspect that they may be capitalising on the fact that most of the houses have no security watch to carry out the crime. In my opinion, I think the respective landlords should provide security guards in their houses. The police hardly come around and when they do, they would come to that primary school (pointing) and turn back,” he said.

CAMPUSLIFE gathered that two burglary cases were reported at the Angwan Lambu Police Post and a suspect, said to be a student, is being prosecuted in court.

An affected resident in Green House told CAMPUSLIFE last week it was the second time his room was invaded.

“The first time, they broke into my room and stole my home theatre. I came back to mend the door and put a new padlock. They came back and stole every item left in the room,” he said.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Keffi Police Station denied that the place was not being well patrolled. Rather, he said crime rate had reduced in Angwan Lambu since he assumed office. He said his men could not be everywhere, adding that the burglaries were rare cases.

A student, Bala Ibrahim, urged landlords to ensure the protection of tenants’ properties.

“Charging high rent should entail securing our properties whether or not we are in school. Besides, why are they not remitting part of our rent to us to cover the period we are not in school?” he asked.

A landlord, Mr. Emma Sharafon, who owns Sheraton House in Angwan Lambu Phase II, said there was no way he could hire private security personnel because his tenants still owed him.

“Some are yet to complete their rent for the outgoing year. I don’t see myself providing security guards for the tenants when they have refused to pay their rent. I don’t even stay in Keffi, so there is practically nothing I can do to help the situation.”

Contacted, Rabiu Tijani Omame, suspended Students’ Union Government (SUG) president, said he could not speak on the matter because he is on suspension. Attah Douglas Arre, chairman of Faculties’ Presidents, said he was not aware of the incident but promised to investigate.

November 7, 2013
Youth leader to ASUU: end strike

The President, Nigeria Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Abdullahi Abdulmajeed, has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end their strike in the interest of students.

He made this known at a rally organised by the group at the University of Lagos, Akoka, where over 200 youths were mobilised for a protest. The protesters were drawn from Lagos, Ebonyi, Plateau, Kogi, Benin, and Abuja, among others.

The academic body embarked on strike that has lasted about four months over Federal Government’s refusal to comply with the 2009 agreement.

Abdulmajeed said the council was not opposed to the demands of the lecturers, but insisted that shutting down universities for such a long is unacceptable to the youth.

He said: “We appeal to both the Federal Government and ASUU to find a solution to the strike because its consequences are becoming unbearable for youths.

“l am sad that over 30 million students have been shut out of school. We don’t have problems with the request of ASUU, which are all legitimate and in the interest of our education. But, we have a problem with the fact that it has adopted an approach that is not dynamic.

“ASUU may have a point. It is also a fact that they are fast losing credibility in the eyes of several Nigerians because in the present trade dispute, we are beginning to feel that ASUU is putting premium on personnel entitlements and welfare issues above repositioning and improving infrastructure in the educational sector, going by the method they have adopted.”

“Nigerians are beginning to have their tolerance overstretched because in spite of the validity of their demands, they are adopting a very un-dynamic approach which fails to weigh the consequences of their actions on the students they claim to be fighting for.”

November 7, 2013
We will not call off strike on ASUU President’s directive- UNIJOS

The University of Jos chapter of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has said it will not call of the four-month old strike on the directive of the National President of the union.

The Chairman of the UNIJOS Chapter, Dr David Janakam stated this in an interview in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

“The national president of ASUU cannot ask us to call off just because the union has met with Mr. President. We don’t operate that way. Whatever agreement reached between the national body and Mr President will be a subject of discussion at local branches.

“We can only call it off when the local branches gives their acceptance to whatever agreement reached with the federal government in their last meeting with president Jonathan.

Janakam said members of the union have lost confidence in the federal government when it comes to agreement based on the lesson learnt from the current strike adding that the minutes of the last meeting with President Jonathan will be critically reviewed.

“If the local branches do not see any seriousness in the contents of that meeting, we will let our national body know of our opinion accordingly. If our response is positive, only then the national body can announce that we have agreed to resume classes.

“So, as far as this strike is concerned, it is the members of ASUU nationwide that can determine the end of the strike, not the national president. Leaders of various chapters of ASUU cannot take decision on behalf of their members in this case. It is the members themselves that should say it is time to call off. So it is not a leadership thing” said Dr Jankam

“I’m just coming back from Abuja where that national president and zonal chairmen briefed us chairmen of local chapters on their dialogue with Mr. President. Back home we will converge in our congress to discuss the issues. Whatever resolution reached in our congress will be made known to our national body.

“This is going to be the processes for calling off of this strike. That was why I said this strike cannot be called off with directive of ASUU president. It has to be the other way round”

He said the congress of the Unijos ASUU chapter has been scheduled for Monday next week.

November 6, 2013
ASUU strike: CSOs urge union to accept latest offer

In the wake of the Federal Government’s promise to pump in N1.2 trillion to revamp the education sector in the next five years, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has been urged to go back to the classroom.
Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, at a round table interface held in Kaduna State on the lingering strike pleaded with the union to consider the plight of the students, their families as well as the universities’ host communities whose economy have been grounded in the past four months.
“As concerned Nigerians, we plead with ASUU to consider the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly. The pleas by prominent individuals, senior citizens, parents, guardians and all concerned Nigerians to immediately call off this strike action.

“We urge ASUU to in good conscience, consider the plight of Nigerian Students, the concerns of parents and guardians, the economic melt-down of host communities of universities and the overall impact on the socio-economic development of the country,” the groups said.

They however called on the government to work with the union and other stakeholders to develop an implementable roadmap for total reform of the University system, adding “there is an urgent need to reposition the university system as the driver of national policies and ideas for genuine transformation.

“We want government to henceforth take proactive step in all union and labour matters and put in place measures to avert future ASUU strike and other labour actions.

“We equally urge government to critically look at the demands of ASUU and put in place mechanisms for a roburst implementation of the offers made, as a sincere intervention to holistically addressing the challenges facing the university system,” they stated.
The groups’ position was contained in a communique signed by Conscience Nigeria; Equity Advocate; Nothern Youth Network; Youth Initiative Forum; Middlebelt Youth Forum; Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network-Nigeria; National Youth Action for Development and Empowerment; Southern Kaduna Peoples Union as well as Adopt a Goal for Development Initiative.

November 6, 2013