More varsities join ASUU strike

MORE universities have joined the strike declared by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Academic activities were grounded yesterday at University of Ibadan (UI), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso and Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) as lecturers stayed away from classes and students were seen idling.

At UI, many students loitered on the campus and many lecturers were in their offices.

Many of the helpless students looked confused as they did not know whether to go home or stay back in school in view of the uncertainty over how long the strike would last.

The institution had scheduled second semester examinations to start on November 26 with the pace of lectures and tutorials increased before the strike started.

The striking lecturers have, however, withdrawn their services from teaching, supervision and attending statutory meetings.

In virtually all the faculties, most lecture rooms were locked.

Addressing the Congress, Chairman of UI ASUU, Dr. Deji Omole, asked members to fight for the future of the Nigerian child being deliberately sidelined by the government.

Omole inaugurated strike monitoring committee headed by Prof. Gbenga Olujide.

In a statement by LAUTECH’s ASUU Branch Chairman Dr. Biodun Olaniran and Secretary, Dr. Toyin Abegunrin, the union said the congress voted in support of the national strike yesterday.

“By this, the general public is hereby notified that all academic activities within the two campuses of the university (Ogbomoso and Osogbo) are suspended until otherwise directed by the national body of our union,” the statement said.

LAUTECH was just wriggling out of funding and school fees hike crisis, when ASUU strike came.

Academic activities at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) have also been grounded by the institution’s chapter of ASUU in compliance with the nationwide strike embarked upon by the union’s parent body.

Also rising from its congress yesterday, ASUU Branch of FUTO unanimously resolved to join the indefinite strike to press home their demands for a “better and meaningful university system”.

Its chairperson, Christopher Echereobia, who briefed reporters, stated that they decided to join the strike, following the Federal Government’s refusal to honour the 2012/2013 agreement on funding and revitilisation of public universities based on the ASUU MoU.

Echereobia added that the strike would be total, stressing that there would “be no teaching, no examination and no attendance to statutory meetings of any kind while the strike lasts”.

Members of the local chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Federal University Lokoja (FUL) chapter yesterday protested alleged delay of salary payment.

The varsity staff members accused the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Angela Freeman-Miri, of salary delay since coming into office in March 2016.

They alleged the VC, who went into hiding, of deliberately withholding their salaries and duty allowances.

The protest, which temporarily affected activities on the Adankolo mini campus of the institution, coincided with the beginning of the indefinite strike by ASUU.

They attempted to break into the office of the VC on learning that she was hiding and not ready to address them.

The union chairman, Uche Onyedi, said the union could not understand the cause of the delay, despite the release of allocation.

The VC, however, denied the allegation of deliberately withholding workers’ salaries and allowances.

Prof. Freeman-Miri, who spoke through Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Osagbemi Makanjuola, attributed the delay to technical hitch arising from the Integrated Payment Platform (IPP).

She explained that both the school bursar and the VC were in Abuja to sort out the staff salaries issue.

She promised to ensure that all issues relating to salaries payment in the school were resolved within shortest possible time.