ASUU announces an indefinite strike and wants to engage the media further.

A complete and indefinite strike has been called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The choice was made during a Sunday in Abuja gathering of the union’s National Executive Council.

According to the MINIECHAT, the union’s continuing strike got underway on February 14, 2022.

The strike is being held in opposition to the government’s refusal to release funds for university revitalization, the white paper report of the panel’s visit to universities, and the failure to implement the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of lecturers’ salaries and benefits.

ASUU strikes are to safeguard public institutions, according to a statement released on Monday by the union’s president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke.

Osodeke said that the NEC regretted that the union had endured the greatest degree of dishonesty for more than five years and that the government had dragged out pointless negotiations with ASUU without showing any sign of loyalty.

In light of the aforementioned and after careful consideration of the government’s answer to the resolution of February 14, 2022, NEC came to the conclusion that the union’s requests had not been adequately met. NEC decided to change the roll-over strike into a full-scale, all-out, indefinite strike action starting at 12.01 a.m. on August 29, 2022.

“NEC appreciates the previous and present efforts made by notable Nigerians and organisations to mediate in the ongoing conflict. As usual, our union is willing to consider fair engagements.

ASUU is still committed to fully implementing the December 23, 2020 Memorandum of Action in order to quickly restore labour peace in Nigeria’s public institutions.

“NEC painfully underlined its worries for Nigerian students who are also our wards and foster children and denounced the government’s seeming disregard for their condition. Our universities would not have been closed for a single day if it had been within our power.

The strike has been prolonged, and the leadership has decentralised the communication route, according to a member of the NEC who asked that his identity not be published since he is not the union’s spokesperson. In order to inform the public and media about the problems of ASUU, we have been given instructions to do so.

Provosts of state universities
The deal negotiated between the Federal Government and academics in federal institutions under the auspices of ASUU cannot be forced onto state universities, according to a statement made on Monday by the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities.

The pro-chancellors also emphasised the need of democratising union membership at universities.

According to the MINIECHAT, certain state institutions have come under heat for continuing the strike that has been called by the national organisation of ASUU.

The committee of pro-chancellors of state-owned universities read a statement made by the president of the ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodike, on a television programme, where he said state universities are “irrelevant and quacks,” on August 26, 2022, with alarm and disbelief, according to a communiqué signed by the secretary, Marcus Awobifa, and made available to The MINIECHAT on Monday.

Our initial response was to ignore the President of ASUU’s tendentious, poorly thought-out, and blatantly unconscionable statement, but after some thought, we decided that it was necessary to respond to this rather unfortunate statement in light of the President of ASUU’s position within the Nigerian university system.

“Although COPSUN won’t want to engage in a debate with the leader of ASUU, the Committee wants to clarify the following:

“That the provosts of our state institutions and, in fact, the council members are illustrious and talented people who have served and are now serving our country in a variety of roles. Former vice chancellors, retired generals in the military, retired ambassadors, senior Nigerian attorneys, well-known politicians, and other eminent professionals are among the members.

Miniechat

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