By Ibe Pascal,
Owerri
Imo State University, Owerri, on Monday, announced that it had pulled out of the seven-month-old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The university asked its students and staff members to resume school on Tuesday, September 20.
The Public Relations Officer of the varsity, Ralph Njoku, told our correspondent that the university decided to pull out of the lingering strike in the interest of the students and staff of the institution.
He said that a statement announcing the development had been sent to radio houses and would be aired repeatedly from Monday afternoon.
The varsity spokesperson added, “Yes. It is true. We have asked students to resume immediately. Lectures start on Tuesday. We are doing this in the best interest of our students and staff. We are not only pulling out of the ASUU strike but also asking everyone to return to school.”
We are still on strike – IMSU ASUU
The Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU, Imo State University, IMSU chapter has debunked trending reports that the union has pulled out from the ongoing strike.
In a telephone chat with IMSU ASUU chairman on Monday afternoon, Dr Ejiogu said the news is not true.
He said, “where did you get the news from ? It is not true, we are still on strike.
“It is a fraud.
ASUU demands
A look at FG’s obligations as spelt out in the Memorandum of Action (MOA) it signed with ASUU on 23rd December 2020 revealed that the issues which led to the incessant strikes was a call by the university union on government to conclude the process of renegotiating the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), pay outstanding arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), release agreed sum of money for the revitalization of public universities (federal and states), address proliferation and governance issues in the state universities, settle promotion arrears, release withheld salaries of academics, and pay outstanding third-party deductions.
The federal government had in March this year inaugurated a seven-person committee chaired by Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs.
The committee which was given a 3-month time frame to conclude its assignment was tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement reached with ASUU.
Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to resolve the strike and report back to him. Up till now, there has been no record of a fruitful meeting between Adamu and ASUU.
The government had reportedly approved 35 per cent increase in salary for professors and 23.5 per cent increase for other lecturers – a decision rejected by the union.
NANS protests
Students under the platform of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have stormed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to press down their demands for the government to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike which has dragged on for almost seven months.
For the government to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike which has dragged on for almost seven months.
Recall NANS had earlier said it will ground activities at the local and international airports across the country beginning from Monday, September 18 over the lingering strike.
It said its decision to ground airports activities was due to the successes recorded in its road protest during which several highways were blocked.
The leadership of NANS, which spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said the grounding of airports was to make the rich share in the pains of the students occasioned by the prolonged strike action.
Chairman, NANS National Task Force on ‘End ASUU Strike Now,’ Ojo Raymond Olumide, said students were tired of pleading with both parties to end the strike.
NANS demonstrating at international Airport road this morning!..#AsuuStrikeUpdate @channelstv @ARISEtv @OfficialAPCNg pic.twitter.com/bfQKEoIILv
— Hadassah (@amazonblaze) September 19, 2022
Olumide cautioned ASUU not to call off the strike after any increment in their salary but to insist on other demands that led to the strike action.
According to him, “We shall begin another round of protest next week by storming the airspaces on Monday, 19th September 2022 to #OccupyTheAirports. We want to let the world know about the pains and anguish students are going through.
“Nigerian students whose parents created the commonwealth cannot continue to be suffering at home alongside our lecturers while the few who gain from our sweat and blood have their kids abroad.
“We call on students to rise and join us as we take our destinies into our hands. Our demands remain consistently clear and simple. We call on ASUU leadership for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss solidarity actions and plan for the next phase of the struggles.”
He explained the students’ body need not inform the police about the planned protest to ground airports because they were not subjected to security agencies.
Strike: Gbaja to meet ASUU on Tuesday
The leadership of the house and other stakeholders are expected to attend the meeting.
The goal of the meeting is to find a solution to the industrial action which has brought academic activities in public universities to a halt since February.
The federal government has met with the leadership of ASUU multiple times to resolve the union’s demands — which includes funding of universities and lecturers’ salaries and allowances.
The federal government had also recently filed a suit against the union at the national industrial court over the lingering strike.
On Thursday, ASUU had said it is ready to suspend the strike if the federal government shows a willingness to accept its “minimum” demands.
Meanwhile, the house of representatives is scheduled to resume plenary on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Yahaya Danzaria, clerk of the house, said the lawmakers are to resume sitting at the “improvised chamber”, which has a capacity of 118 seats.
“Due to the ongoing renovation taking place in the old Chamber, Members are expected to resume plenary on the same date (Tuesday, 20th September, 2022) at the new improvised Chamber in Room 0.28 New Building with a capacity for 118 seats only,” the statement reads.
“This new Chamber is extended by an upper deck provision in Room 231 New Building with capacity for 236 seats. The Rooms are connected audio-visually and electronically with large screens.
“Accordingly, there are no designated seats apart from the allocation for Presiding and Principal Officers. Therefore, all other sitting arrangements are based on arrivals.
“It is equally important to note that because this is a temporary improvised arrangement, no provisions are made for legislative aides due to want of space.”
