Strike: ASUU NEC holds crucial meeting
BY Deborah Onatunde
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will on Sunday night/Monday morning conclude whether the union will continue its over six-month strike or not.
Nigerian NewsDirect reports that ASUU embarked on a nationwide industrial action on February 14 and has continued to extend it as there has been no agreement with the government.
The union had extended the strike on August 1 by another four weeks, leaving parents and students to an unknown fate.
Other counterparts of ASUU namely the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) have called off their respective strike actions for a few months to allow the Federal Government give a proper look into their demands.
Meanwhile, a comment by the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, stating that some state universities that have opted out of the strike are pretentious, has generated mixed reactions as there is the possibility of more state universities opting out of the strike.
Previously, Kwara State University, Kaduna State University and Ekiti State University have tackled Osodeke for his remark and acclaimed that most of the issues at stake are peculiar to federal universities.
It was also gathered that the FG may order the Vice Chancellors to re-open the schools and register lecturers who are willing to work. Such lecturers would only be paid, while those who refuse to work would not be paid.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has consequently appealed to ASUU to consider whatever is given by the Government in the interest of students.
Moreover, NANS National President, Sunday Asefon, made it known it that the students will not cooperate with the union if it continues the industrial action.
“Let them have pity on students that have been at home for months. If the strike is not called off, we won’t support the union in this fight again. Let them make concessions and live to fight another day,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NEC meeting may determine whether the government would suspend the union as is being heard in some quarters.
