Varsity teachers divided over strike

Varsity teachers met yesterday on the
campuses to discuss President Goodluck
Jonathan’s offer to end their more than four
months strike.
According to the operating guidelines of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),
the local chapters are expected to vote on
whether they agreed with the proposal and that
the strike should end or whether they
disapproved and the strike should continue.
Decisions reached on the various campuses
are to be taken to tomorrow’s National
Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which will
take a decision after aggregating the opinions.
Opinions were divided yesterday, although
many ASUU chapters failed to disclose their
decisions.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State
University (LASU), University of Calabar
(UNICAL), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto,
Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA),
Federal University of Technology Minna and
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
(LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapters voted that the
strike should end. Some of them, however,
gave conditions.
The University of Jos (UNIJOS), the University
of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Nasarawa State
University chapters voted that the strike should
continue.
UNIJOS chapter chairman Dr. David Jankam
said members did not see any substance in the
dialogue with the Federal Government to
warrant calling off the strike.
He said: “We have just rounded off our meeting.
As a matter of fact, our members voted
overwhelmingly for the continuation of the
strike.
“I can also confirm to you that five of the eight
universities that make up the Bauchi Zone of
ASUU have also voted for continuation of the
strike, and the general saying is that the
government has not shown any commitment so
far.
“We started the meeting by briefing our
members on issues resolved with the Federal
Government in the last meeting with the
president of ASUU.
“But in responding to the briefing, our members
observed that the main issues that led to the
strike were not discussed at the Aso Rock
meeting.
“As such, my members said President
Jonathan is taking them for a ride by trying to
divert attention from the core subjects of the
strike.”
Jankam went on: “I will now convey the resolve
of our branch to our national president at the
NEC meeting tomorrow.”
Shedding light on how the meeting will decide
the mater, he said: “If the majority of the
chapters vote for its end, it will be called off, but
if majority of chapters vote for continuation, so
be it.”
The congress of the Union at the Federal
University of Technology (FUT), Minna was
divided, with majority of the members
supporting the suspension of the action. Others
would want it suspended with some conditions
met by the government.
The minority demanded that in calling off the
action, the leadership of the union should insist
that no member is victimised for his roles in the
strike. They also insisted that government
should indicate in the final agreement that the
2009 agreement was due for negotiation and
the payment of the balance of their academic
earned allowances.
As soon as Dr. Fatai Jimoh briefed the
congress of the outcome of the meeting
between President Jonathan and the union, the
house was divided, with the majority of the
members pushing for suspension.
The few dissenting voices argued that the
union should not fall prey to the government’s
ploy. They cautioned that the union cannot
take the government for its word, maintaining
that if the union had to embark on a strike after
series of correspondences and strike in 2011
that led to the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) in 2012 were not
honoured.
But majority of the university teachers said the
plight of the students and their parents should
be considered.
After an exhaustive debate, the congress
directed its chairman to convey to the National
Executive Council meeting holding tomorrow at
the Bayero University in Kano that the union
could consider suspending the action, but
insisted that the three conditions be met.
Chapter chairman Dr. Fatai Jimoh, who initially
refused to divulge the outcome of the congress,
later said: “I have the mandate to take the
decision of the congress to NEC. But, if you
insist to know, majority of our members called
for the suspension of the strike but with the
government fulfilling three conditions.
“Don’t ask me the conditions, because we
don’t want it yet in the public domain. All I can
tell you is that the strike is still on, until the NEC
of the union decides otherwise.”
The chapter chairman also refused to assess
the impact of the action. He said: “As long as
NEC has not suspended the action, it will be
premature to assess the success or otherwise
of the action. When the strike is called off, I’ll
give my candid assessment.”
At Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University,
Lapai, ASUU chair Comrade Yahaya Badeggi
said: “The congress at IBBU Lapai resolved
that the strike continues until when the
National Executive Council of the union decides
otherwise. We know they are still negotiating.
We shall abide by the decision of NEC.”
On the gains of the action, Badeggi said: “I
make bold to say that the action has produced
some positive results. From the N100 billion
released, our university got N450 million. This
would not have been so but for the strike. I
believe that at the end of the day, the university
system will be better for it.”
The following are the decisions at the various
ASUU chapters on the strike.
•University of Benin (UNIBEN). Members
unanimously voted for the strike to continue
because the Federal Government’s offer
omitted some vital segments of the 2009
agreement;
•University of Lagos (UNILAG) teachers want
suspension of strike, but will await further
directive from the national body after meeting
tomorrow in Kano;
•University of Calabar (UNICAL) lecturers voted
for the suspension of the strike;
Nasarawa State University, Keffi. ASUU chair
Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said: “I can assure you
that all members present at the congress today
wanted the strike to continue because the
documents from the government failed to
address the grey areas in contention. We
believe there is nothing practicable in the
government’s offer, even with the N200 billion it
promised to release. Before we can suspend the
strike, all unpaid salaries of our colleagues
must be paid and there must be solid
assurance from the government that no
member will be victimised after the strike is
eventually suspended;
•Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When the
issue was put to vote, the majority of members
wanted an end to the strike, with the agreement
that the government must sign a binding
document on how it will release the N1.2 trillion
it promised to release. They promised to abide
by the decision of the NEC in Kano;
•Delta State University (DELSU) members want
suspension of the strike.
•Ekiti State University (EKSU) lecturers would
not disclose the outcome of the congress until
after the NEC meeting tomorrow;
•Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
Ogbomoso (LAUTECH). The ASUU local
chairman said he would not disclose the
outcome of the congress but a lecturer who
attended the congress said members were
okay with the offer of the government and
wanted the strike to end;
•Lagos State University (LASU) chapter
supports the strike suspension.
A source who is from ASUU-LASU executive,
but pleaded not to be mentioned, said the
chapter only gave certain conditions under
which the strike should be suspended.