No going back on strike action, ASUU tells FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said there is no going back on the planned two-week nationwide warning strike if the Federal Government fails to respond to their demands on or before October 13 this year.

The planned strike follows a two-week ultimatum issued by the union last week, asking the FG to address its unresolved issues, including the signing and implementation of the renegotiated 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.

ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, stated this on Monday during the Orientation/Leadership Training on the theme ‘Understanding the Principles of the Union’, at the ASUU, Niger Delta University Branch in Amassoma, Bayelsa State.

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Piwuna insisted that the union’s position on a warning strike will not change except their demands are met by the federal government.

He said, “The warning strike has been issued and we are not meeting to discuss that again as a union because our position has been taken, and by midnight of Monday, we will embark on a two-week warning strike, after which we will meet after the expiration to decide when to begin an indefinite and comprehensive strike action.

“The issues still remain the same, re-negotiation of our 2009 documents is still lingering over the years, and we want Nigerians to know that we have been talking and the strike action is coming after several years of negotiations and we are not just jumping on a strike.

“We have given the government enough time on this particular issue; just imagine they gave us three weeks to get back to them and never did till this moment. Nigerians must always look at the actions of the government that have always pushed us to such actions.”

On the issue of NELFUND, Piwuna said, “We have told the government that we do not support loans in such a depressed economy. In an economy where the unemployment rate is high, families can’t feed themselves, so where do they want them to repay the loan?

“If they truly want to give them money, they should come out clean. Where are the jobs that will enable them to repay the loans? If the money is meant to make the universities run better, they should be given as grants, not loans.

“Recently, some of the reports coming from NELFUND make us think we are right, when an organisation that is less than a year old and has less than a hundred staff is spending N14 billion on personnel, when even this university that has over 1,000 staff can’t spend that amount in a year, including building of structures.”

Also speaking at the Orientation/Leadership Training, ASUU National Financial Secretary, Happiness Uduk, reiterated that ASUU has not only been known as a union of intellectuals, but of intellectuals with integrity, urging members always to maintain the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability no matter the pressure.

The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State, Ezekiel Agbalagba, who spoke on Understanding the Dynamics of ASUU and University Administration, admonished members to stick with the principles of the ASUU work guide as written and compiled by former President of the Union, Comrade Festus Iyayi.

Agbalagba also pointed out that collaboration among members would help to achieve excellence in education, adding that if ASUU members understood their roles, it would help bring change to the institutions.

Vice Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Allen Agih, commended members and organisers of the training workshop, and also appealed that it should be a frequent thing because of its importance.

Earlier in his brief, the ASUU NDU Branch Chairperson, Lucky Bebeteidoh, thanked the ASUU President for the visit despite his busy schedule, while commending members for their participation and fruitful deliberations.