ASUU Says Sack Threats wont Dissuade Them

Members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday stuck to their guns of not returning to classes, describing the Federal Government’s threat of mass sack as ridiculous. The lecturers warned students returning to campus, as prompted by the government, to accept blame for any risk whatsoever.

Although the government had extended the ultimatum to December 9 for ASUU members to resume work or face outright sack in their respective universities, the lecturers sounded recalcitrant yesterday, while insisting that no degree of threat would make them compromise their five-month struggle.

Our reporters, who monitored activities in some universities, noted the inactivity across the ivory towers, which had been turned to ghost towns, since July 1.

At the University of Lagos, few students were seen on campus, while lecture halls were obviously empty and dusty. Some curious students were seen milling around the campus gate, in anxious expectation for any favourable news about the strike.

The UNILAG ASUU Chairman, Dr Karol Ogbinaka, told our reporter that the government cannot deceive the lecturers. He said the government imported strange faces to teach students in one university and the students staged a walk-out in protest.

“When government deceives students to return to campus, they cannot deceive lecturers to call off the strike. UNILAG was not closed in the first place. People are going there but you cannot find any lecturer teaching. Let the government do what is needful if they sincerely want us to return to work,” he said.

At the Lagos State University (LASU), few students were seen loitering the place. The campus looked deserted, with few lecturers doing their private work. No lecturer was seen in the classroom. The management of the university also scheduled a meeting with students but the outcome of the meeting was not ascertained as at press time.

ASUU members at the Delta State University (DELSU) held a congress yesterday at Abraka, where they resolved to continue the strike until it was suspended by the national body.  The congress also advised the students of the university not to return for academic activities as the lecturers could not guarantee their safety.

In a statement issued after the meeting and signed by its president, Dr. Emmanuel Nwafor Mordi, the union advised the students to ignore any announcement of returning to school any time soon.

He described as worrisome and uncalled for, the overflow of emotion, flexing of muscles and saber-rattling by the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, calling on ASUU to end  the strike which has paralyzed the academic activities in Nigeria’s public universities.

On government’s threat to sack ASUU members, Dr Mordi added: “By its actions, government is attempting to repudiate the recent Memorandum of Understanding of November 4, 2013 by mere subterfuge. It is clear that government had no intention of restoring normalcy to public universities.

“For the umpteenth time, let it be emphasised that this on-going strike could have been averted if the Federal Government had demonstrated in good faith and timely implementation of the 2009 ASUU- Government agreement.”

According to him: “It will be  fool hardy for any student to return to any campus for lectures which are non-existent. No lecturer will teach at the point of bayonet. The strike is for the provision of teaching, learning and laboratory as well as hostel facilities.”

Subsequently, the congress enjoined all Nigerians of goodwill to prevail on the Federal Government to conclude its commendable conciliatory meeting with ASUU by endorsing its November 4, 2013 Memorandum of Understanding so that students can resume their academic activities without delay.  Also, lecturers at the Benue State University (BSU) and University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM) vowed that their members would not sign any register opened by the institutions.

In a chat with Daily Sun yesterday, Chairman of ASUU UAM, Dr. Celestine Aguoru, who disclosed that members unanimously resolved not to sign any register opened by the university, insisted that they were not afraid to be sacked.

“We just finished a congress in which 500 lecturers were in attendance where we resolved that no one should sign the register. We are ready to be sacked. We are not afraid to be sacked.” Aguoru’s counterpart at the BSU, Dr. David Ikoni dared the state owned institution to open any such register, insisting that no member of the union would sign or attend lectures. “We only take orders from our national body. I dare the university to open any register. If they do, I can assure you that no single member of ASUU will sign.”

Meanwhile, the Governing Council of UAM has announced the re-opening of the institution for academic and allied activities with effect from yesterday. In a press release signed by the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Joseph Fanafa and made available to Daily Sun, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Emmanuel Kutcha announced that resumption register had been opened for returning academic staff from December 4, 2013.

The Registrar of UAM, C.C Ohemu told our correspondent that registers have been opened in all colleges of the institution as well as another one in her office for academic staff to sign with effect from yesterday.

When our correspondent visited the Benue State University (BSU), no register seemed to have been opened anywhere even as efforts to see the Registrar, Dr. Utile or any other member of Management failed. At the University of  Calabar (UNICAL), the ASUU Chairman, Dr. James Okpiliya, stated that lecturers would not return to the classroom until all the issues of contention were resolved.

Speaking to Daily Sun yesterday in his office, Okpiliya said, “we just rose from our congress and we have resolved to continue with the strike until a counter directive comes from our national body. It is only when that is done that normal academic work can begin on campus. Nobody can threaten us because we are on the right path. Once the right thing is done, we will resume. My advice to parents is that anyone who releases his or her ward is doing so at their own risk. We are not going to teach. We are not going back to the classroom.”

But in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive, the management of UNICAL had announced resumption date for normal academic activities. In a statement signed by the Deputy Registrar (Academic Division), Mr. Mike Monity, he said “normal academic and allied activities had resumed yesterday, December 4 at the University of Calabar.”

Monity said the decision was reached at an emergency meeting of senate held at the senate chambers of the Institution.  “The decision was in compliance with the directive issued by the coordinating minister of Education and also hinted that details of the revised university calendar will be disclosed in due course. Meanwhile, students with pending activities like second semester registration, final year and Post Graduate research projects should resume while time table for lectures is being worked out,” he added.

When our reporter visited the campus, the whole place was still a ghost of itself as students were nowhere to be found neither were lecturers around. At the main campus, some members of non-academic staff were seen in groups discussing the development in low tones.

It was the same scene at the University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT), as the Senate and ASUU disagreed on resumption.

When Daily Sun visited the institution yesterday, to ascertain the level of compliance, it discovered that nothing serious was in place, despite the fact that Senate had earlier set  Sunday, December 8 for reopening.

The university had, after its senate council’s meeting on Tuesday, released a new timetable for academic activities on the three campuses of the university, pointing out that lectures would resume on Monday, December 9.

The Chairperson of ASUU, UNIPORT chapter, Professor Antonia Okerengwo, said the union was not on the same page with the university management. According to her, the school  was not closed, therefore, the issue of reopening should not even arise, and  that lectures would only resume after a directive from the national body of ASUU.

Okerengwo said they were not intimidated by threats from the federal government, adding that nowhere in the world lecturers had suffered the type of humiliation they had gone through under the federal government.

Also, the ASUU Chairman, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife chapter, Professor Akinola Adegbola, told our reporter that the federal government’s threat against lecturers in the country could not hold water.

Professor Adegbola who spoke with Daily Sun stated that the only condition that could make ASUU suspend its strike was full implementation of the agreement made by the Federal government with ASUU.

He said the threat by the federal government to sack lecturers who refused to resume work was not new as such threat was experienced by ASUU members during the regime of late General Sani Abacha.

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