Breaking News: Finally, ASUU Calls Off Strike

 Report reaching us from Minna, Niger State capital and TVC, indicates that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called off its five months strike.

 The Union arrived at the latest decision to suspends its strike after a marathon meeting held at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State on Monday.

After a protracted debate, the Federal Government and ASUU reached a compromise during a negotiation brokered by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar few days ago.

Meanwhile, The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has set up an 18 member committee to monitor the utilization of the N200 billion fund given to universities by the Federal Government as part of its deal with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

 NANS president, Comrade Yinka Gbadebo said the committee was to ensure that there was transparency in the utilization of the Fund and to forestall further incidence of Industrial Action. 

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ASUU Members Disrupt Lectures In University

Crisis broke at the University of Benin yesterday, Monday, December 9th as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) UNIBEN chapter disrupted ongoing lectures at the Faculty of Law at the university.

Some UNIBEN lecturers resumed last week following the Federal Government’s directive to resume work and as one lecturer gathered his students to begin his class, The Union members stormed the lecture room and stopped it.

The Vice Chancellor of the University was forced to call the police to intervene but the unrelenting ASUU task force members clashed with them, putting an end to all on-going lectures at the University. Making sure the strike continued.

 See photos from a disrupted class below....

      

        

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ASUU Latest FG Sets Final Resumption Deadline For Lecturers(Read)

 In what has been described as a mark of respect to the late Prof Festus Iyayi, past president of ASUU, whose funeral rites begins on Sat December 7th, the Federal Govt has decided to shift its deadline for resumption of lecturers to Monday December 9th.

 This was made known by the Executive Secreatry of the Nigerian University Commision, Prof Julius Okojie while addressing  journalist in Abuja yesterday.

Prof Okojie in his briefing said:

"Government decided to shift the date of resumption so as to allow lecturers attend the funeral rites of Late Prof Iyayi We just received information that the burial rites of Festus Iyayi begins on the December5 and would last till December 7"

On the issue of salary arrears been demanded by lecturers, Prof Okojie said:

“You cannot pay someone who has failed to resume work. You are on strike and you want to be paid. What if some have already left the system? Some of our very bright lecturers may have gotten jobs elsewhere already,” he said 

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''Federal Government Are Liers''- ASUU President, Reveal Demands

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nasir Fagge, has accused the federal government of not telling Nigerians the truth about the body's(ASUU) demands, as regards the government’s statement that the union's demand has been met.

According to Dr. Nasir Fagge, ASUU had a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the federal government for it to spend over N3 trillion to turn around the fortune of all federal and state universities and also to better the lot of the educational sector in the country

“The agreement is for the federal government to spend N800 billion yearly for the next four years, but what we have is government talking about N130 billion which is very insignificant," he said.

Fagge made the revelation Tuesday, while fielding questions from journalists, at the end of the congress of the Benue State University chapter of ASUU, in Makurdi.

He said: "Our demands are genuine, and it is based on the mutual agreement entered into in 2009 by government and ASUU. We urge the government to be responsible to that agreement.

"President Goodluck Jonathan said the strike is being politicised but the truth is that it is government that is playing politics with our demands. It is as if every problem in this country is now being politicised.

"I want to ask one basic question: Is it political to ask government to be responsible enough to implement an agreement she willingly entered into.

"It is important to state clearly that we are a union of intellectuals, and we cannot accept a situation were the tail will wag the dog. Whatever we do is for the betterment of the Nigerian university system.”

In addition, the ASUU national president said: "It is important to place on record that the struggle is a continuous one but the implementation of the 2009 agreement is key to improving on facilities in our universities and placing it at par with what we have in other parts of the world."

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