The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ASUU

  • ASUU decries lawlessness in varsities

    ASUU decries lawlessness in varsities

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised alarm over the current lawlessness in the nation’s universities.

    The National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir F. Isa, while speaking to journalists at the ASUU secretariat in Bayero University, Kano, on Monday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently intervene in the crisis-ridden universities so as to protect the future of the Nigerian youth.

    Issues raised by the ASUU chief are – the killing of students at Nasarawa State University, Keffi , leadership crisis at Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), disregard for court orders at University of Ilorin, release of White Paper on President Jonathan’s special visitation to University of Abuja and the need for reconstitution of Governing Councils for Federal Universities in the country.

    The body called for a full-scale investigation into the killing of two students at NSUK with a bid to bringing culprits to justice.

    According to Isa, while two students are already dead as a fall out of the NSUK crisis, over 20 students received varying degrees of injuries during the incident.

    He pointed out that experience over the years has shown that recourse to military intervention in civil matters like students’ unrest is unfortunate.

    Isa said, “The questions begging for answers, however, are: why would the authorities of NSUK Keffi refuse to provide basic boreholes that can sufficiently meet the water needs of their students?

    “Why would they refuse to respond to the entreaties and eventual warnings of the students before February 25th? Why did the authorities of NSUK ignore the students’ lecture boycott of February 25th? Who invited the military to quell students’ peaceful protest? Who ordered for the shootings and killings of university students?

    “We are requesting the visitor to NSUK to institute an inquiry into the killings of our students. We are warning that unless the immediate and remote causes of the killings are identified and appropriate punitive measures taken against the killers of our innocent students. Our union will leave no stone unturned in our pursuance of justice to all the victims of this madness.”

    RSUST,

  • RSUST: ‘ASUU is open to dialogue with Rivers government’

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Rivers State University of Science and Technology chapter, said on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that it was ready to dialogue with government to end its four-month-long strike.

    The union embarked on strike on August 13 to challenge the re-appointment of Prof. Barineme Fakae as the institution’s vice-chancellor.

    It claimed that Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi did not follow due process in the re-appointment.

    The chapter chairman, Dr. Felix Igwe, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the state government should be held responsible for the ongoing strike by lecturers in the university because of its refusal to dialogue with the union.

    He alleged that the union’s meeting of August 15 held to seek possible solution to the impasse was disrupted by thugs sponsored by the university administration.

    “The union had always been ready to talk; it is the absence of dialogue (with government) that brought about the strike in the first instance.

    “The day I was attacked with other members of the union, we were holding meeting and that attack was sponsored by the university administration and led by the chief security officer of the university.

    “The vice-chancellor, the university administration and the government are not interested in any kind of discussion at all.

    “The union is available, willing, and always there to engage in discussion and because they (university administration) know that what they have done is wrong, that’s why they don’t want to open an avenue for discussion because when you discuss, superior opinion will prevail,’’ Dr. Igwe told NAN.

    On the university’s claims that 70 per cent of striking lecturers had resumed academic activities, he described the claims as false and untrue.

    He said that lecturers would resume academic activities only when government followed the provisions of the law of the university in appointing a vice-chancellor.

     

  • ASUU renews call for varsity autonomy

    ASUU renews call for varsity autonomy

     

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday in Abuja renewed its call for autonomy of Nigerian universities.

    The president of the union, Dr. Nasir Fagge, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the call had become necessary due to interference in the running of the institutions.

    “You will find out that circulars are emanating in most cases from the National Universities Commission, interfering in the day-to-day running of the universities.

    “We are also worried that in some situations, you find the vice chancellor summoned by SMS to come to Abuja for issues when they should be allowed to be administering their universities; so we are worried about that,‘’ he said.

    Fagge said the union’s call for autonomy was also enshrined in the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement.

    According to him, the union believes that Nigerian universities should be allowed to run their administrative structures and come up with their curriculum just like the foreign universities.

    “This will encourage effective learning and research and also promote community service.

    “Recently, we had a case where the Federal Government just woke up one day and dissolved the governing councils of the universities.

    “The union had to protest and we are happy to say that the councils were reinstated, apart from some of the universities.

    “Now we are still struggling to get councils for about four universities to be reinstated.”

    Fagge called for the reinstatement of the governing councils of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile ife; University of Benin, University of Jos and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia.

    He said the universities had been operating without a council since the Federal Government dissolved the boards.

    “Things have become very difficult for our members in those universities because most of the things that required the councils’ consideration have been kept pending.

    “For instance, the issues of appointment and promotion have been put on hold so we have been calling on government to act on this but it has not been addressed yet, ‘’ Fagge told NAN.

     

  • ASUU kicks against plea bargaining

    The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Dr Nasir Fagge Isa, has said the use of plea bargaining in cases involving influential Nigerians would worsen corruption.

    Isa spoke in Ibadan yesterday when a national trustee of ASUU, Prof Chukwuka Okonjo, was honoured with Doctor of Science by the premier university

    According to him, plea bargaining is another ploy by the political class to protect its own, who he said are the ones stealing from Nigerians.

    The ASUU leader said the union was opposed to giving support to criminals by asking him to part with some of the loot, adding that it does not portray the nation as serious.

    “You catch somebody and tell him to bring a part of what he has stolen.

    “It is not going to stop others but will encourage other criminals to steal. Honestly, plea bargaining is just another way used by the political class to protect its own.

    “The stealing is mostly done by the political class.

    “If somebody steals N100million and you ask him to part with 60 million…what stops him from stealing N200billion next time?

    “We at ASUU do not support giving protection to criminals”

    He urged President Jonathan to implement reports of committees set up by the Federal Government to probe different sectors of the economy.

    Isa said the President must show this by stepping on toes rather than hobnobbing with people of tainted character.

    Okonjo, who is the father of Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said Nigerians have no reason to be poor, if the economy is properly managed and restructured.

     

  • ASUU seeks release of kidnapped don

    ASUU seeks release of kidnapped don

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),

    University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter, has urged the

    Delta State Government to ensure the release of its Commissioner for Higher Education,Prof. Hope Eghagha, from the kidnappers’ den.

    Eghagha taught in the Arts Faculty of the varsity before he was appointed commissioner.

    In a statement by the Chairman of the union, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, the lecturers lamented the level of insecurity in Delta State and called on the government to reverse the trend.

    The statement reads: “We call on the kidnappers to release Eghagha in good stead and health. He was called from his academic chores here in the UNILAG to serve his community. His plight is most uncalled for and regrettable.

    “We also implore the Delta State government and the police to secure the indigenes of Delta State, which is fast becoming the hub of kidnappers, especially of academics and top government officials and their close relatives.

    “It is obvious that the so-called security in Delta State is more imagined than real.”

    The union commiserated with the family of Eghagha’s aide, who was killed by the kidnappers.

     

  • ‘RSUST ASUU strike uncalled for’

    THE Regional Director of the National Youth Development and Intervention in the Niger Delta, Captain Graham Boms, yesterday condemned the strike by the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    The union has been on strike in protest of the re-appointment of Prof. Barineme Fakae as the institution’s Vice-Chancellor by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    ASUU said Fakae does not qualify for the position and his re-appointment did not follow due process.

    During a visit to the Port Harcourt office of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The Tide, Boms said: “I am asking ASUU to move away from its hidden agenda and support Fakae and his transformation agenda for the institution, which is in line with the state and Federal governments’ policies.

    “Fakae is doing well and ASUU should not stand in his way. If the strike continues, the students will suffer. Some will miss the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and others may lose the academic year.

    “The lecturers have no business with who appoints or who is appointed VC. Amaechi’s decision followed due process. ASUU should allow Fakae continue with the good work he is doing. I have gone to RSUST to see things for myself. Fakae should be allowed to work.”