Some branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in state-owned universities have vowed to remain on strike following the failure of the Federal Government to successfully negotiate with the national body of the union.
Chairpersons of ASUU in the affected state universities, who spoke in separate interviews with our correspondents, described as “ignorant” calls for the suspension of the strike in state-owned universities.
The national body of ASUU had on Monday, February 14, 2022 declared a national strike, thereby grounding academic activities in federal universities and some state-owned universities across the country.
The national body had requested from the Federal Government the release of revitalisation funds to universities; earned allowances; deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of lecturers; release of the white paper on the visitation panels to universities among others.
Although some state universities like the Kwara State University, Lagos State University, Osun State University, Kaduna State University among others pulled out of the strike, findings by our correspondents, however, revealed that majority of state-owned universities remain on strike.
Such universities include Ekiti State University; Gombe State University; Olabisi Onabanjo University and Tai-Solarin University of Education, Ogun State; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo state; Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State; Bauchi State University; Benue State University, Ibrahim Babaginda University, Niger; Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano; Imo State University; Nasarawa State University; Abia State University; Kano State University of Technology; Kebbi State University; and Sokoto State University among others.
Meanwhile, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government and ASUU to shift grounds in order to pave the way for amicable resolution of the prolonged strike.
The Executive Director of MMWG, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, in a statement in Ilorin, Kwara State on Tuesday stressed the need for the parties involved in the crisis to shift grounds in view of the damage the prolonged strike has done to the university education system.
The management of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti on Wednesday directed all newly-admitted students for 2021/2022 academic session to resume on Monday for screening, registration and orientation programme.
The order, despite the ongoing ASUU strike, followed the advisory by stakeholders in the institution to the management to reopen the university without further delay for continuation of academic activities.
EKSU Registrar, Ife Oluwole, announced the resumption in a statement in Ado Ekiti titled, ‘Resumption of academic and administrative activities in the university: University stakeholders’ resolutions.’
Oluwole stated that the stakeholders expressed worries that the industrial action was having negative effects not only on the students, but also on the university in areas including “undue prolongation of the academic calendar and the stay of the students on campus”
The strike by ASUU entered its 191st day today (Thursday).
