Topic: ASUU Strike:ASUU tells members to remain absolute  (Read 2592 times)

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ASUU Strike:ASUU tells members to remain absolute
« on: December 04, 2013, 07:09:31 AM »
The Federal Government shifted yesterday its ultimatum for the reopening of universities till Monday.
The deadline of its resume-or-be-sacked-directive to striking teachers would have been today.

Supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike, who gave the much criticised directive, announced the shift of date.

He said since the family of the late Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ex-President Prof. Festus Iyayi informed the ministry of funeral rites for weekend, the resumption date had to be shifted to enable the government participate in the ceremony.

Wike said: “The decision to shift the date of the compulsory resumption of federal universities for academic activities is now Monday, December 9. This decision has been taken as a result of the respect we have for the former ASUU President.”

He said the Federal Government took the decision to re-open the universities in the interest of Nigerians and not to engage in a showdown with ASUU.

Wike said Nigerians should appreciate that the pro-chancellors and chairmen of the federal universities Governing Councils took the decision to re-open the schools, pointing out that the Federal Government’s directive was to the vice chancellors who are expected to comply with the decision of the pro-chancellors.

The Minister said the Federal Government had already opened a dedicated account for the revival of infrastructure in the universities.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, has signed the resolution that the Federal Government will commit N1.3trillion into the revival of infrastructure in the universities, he said, adding that the advertisement of internal and external vacancies is part of the process to address the shortage of manpower in the nation’s universities.

According to Wike, the Federal Government has implemented over 80per cent of the issues contained in the 2009 agreement, with only the payment of earned allowances and revitalisation of infrastructure pending.

“The Federal Government appreciates the need to revive infrastructure in our universities and other tertiary institutions, hence the government has put in place the process to effectively address the challenges identified by the NEEDS Assessment report voluntarily initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan,” the minister said.

National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okojie is displeased that ASUU members are yet to call off the strike.

He said the deadline was not a threat but a call to go back to work.

But ASUU restated its rejection of the ultimatum, issuing yesterday a 14-point guideline to its members on why they must sustain the strike.

It also said no external force was behind its action and spurned sack threats because, according to ASUU, such a measure is against the Labour Act and the International Labour Organisation’s Convention.

The union made its position known in Strike Bulletin No. 14, signed by ASUU National President Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge.

ASUU said: “Our union, as you know, derives its strength from members. Government fallacy of ‘external forces’ behind our union only betrays its desperation to distract our genuine cause. You know better!

“Do not believe in the falsehood being peddled by certain persons as regards some fictitious ratio of branches that voted for suspension of strike.

“ASUU operates strong internal democracy and is capable of taking critical decisions on matters of concern to the Union. Your Union will always do your bidding.

“Our struggle is on course; the threat of sack for failure to sign resumption of duty register is part of the oppression that failed in the past. It will fail again.”

The union came up with 14 guidelines signaling that it is prepared for a long drawn battle with the Federal Government.

The guidelines read in part:

•Do not sign any resumption of duty. Government is out to humiliate us. Hold your head high. This too shall pass!!!

•If you receive any query on account of the ongoing strike, failure to sign resumption of duty register, etc, bring such to the attention of the branch chairperson immediately for guidance.

•It is a general knowledge that members of ASUU are on a national strike. It is against the Labour Act and the ILO convention to sack anybody on account of participation in a strike, no matter how remotely related.

•Remain resolute and refrain from violating the ongoing strike. Our Union is capable of protecting its members.

•Meanwhile, be security conscious. Do not visit security agencies alone. In case of difficulties, always consult your Chairperson.

•With our collective resolve, we can again brush off this unwarranted and provocative onslaught. Stand to be counted on the positive side of history. Do not betray your union.

The leadership of ASUU also justified its struggle and insisted that it is in the public interest.

It said: “Our collective national struggle to save the future of public system has entered yet another critical phase. The National Strike Coordinating Committee(NSCC) commends all members for their steadfastness and commitment to this patriotic cause.

“When we commenced the strike, we were clear as to the possible antics of Government, such as attack on our Union, stoppage of salaries, harassment through security agencies, opening of resumption of duty registers, sacking , etc, all aimed at breaking our resolve

“For five months, we have weathered the storm of persecution, oppression, media attack, manipulation of public opinion by government and its agent against our cause, stoppage of salaries, etc. With our sacrifice and dogged determination, we have remained standing.

“In our interactions with government, we craved for better funding, but arrived at a resolution upon which it offered to begin the process of revitalising the Universities by making available N200bn in 2013 and follow with a release of N220bn annually for another five years.

“Our congresses considered the offer by Government and resolved that the strike be suspended after incorporating the ‘non victimisation clause’, ‘the commencement of renegotiation of FGN/ASUU Agreement by 2014’ and the endorsement of the new MoU by representatives of Government and ASUU with NLC President as witness. We have not made a fresh demand.

“For a Government that recently raised question on the validity of its own document (MoU) even when it was signed by the Permanent Secretary for the Minister of Education, have we done anything wrong by insisting that the MoU be duly endorsed?”

Lecturers of the states and Federal universities in the Southwest said they remained resolute.
They described as “primitive and derogatory”, the threat of the Federal government to sack them, should they fail to return to the class, saying a government that could hurry to inject over two trillion naira into ailing banks that are privately owned should not find it difficult to infuse N200bn into public universities across the country.

Addressing reporters on the main campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago – Iwoye, Ogun State, the local ASUU chair, Dr Adesola Nassir, said the Ibadan Zone of ASUU comprising University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Lagos State University, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, would sustain the strike.

Nassir said: “Not Nyesom Wike, Doyin Okupe, Julius Okojie was given the mandate to manage the affairs of this country, education sector inclusive.”

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.

“We cannot continue to be accomplices in the process of producing the half-baked graduates, as we have been accused of.

“Our position is very clear: the Federal government said it was going to infuse N200bn into the universities in 2010, we are barely three or a little over that today in 2013 and our union is saying, government must live by what it has said it would do.

The Nation

 

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