public universities as the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) would this weekend hold its National
Executive Council (NEC) meeting to take a position on the
on-going five- month-old strike. Saturday Sun source revealed
that national officers and branch chairmen of ASUU have
arrived at the venue of the crucial meeting to deliberate on the
industrial action.
The industrial action, which enters 144 days today, took off
on July 1, 2013 and has crippled academic activities in federal
and state universities. Ahead of the NEC meeting, some
members of ASUU in two universities, Enugu State
University (ESUT) and University of Agricultural Abeokuta
(UNAB) had announced that their institutions would open for
academic activities. Also, the authorities of the University of
Lagos despite the on-going strike have started the screening/
registration for new students offered admission for the
2013/2014 academic session.
The source told our Correspondent that ASUU is aware of
public concern about the situation in the universities and that
NEC would do the needful after deliberating on reports from
the outcome of the various congress. According to the source,
having mourned and honoured late Professor Festus Iyayi,
who died while on his way to Bayero University Kano (BUK)
for a NEC meeting by suspending the meeting, ASUU
leadership felt it was ripe to hold the crucial meeting.
He refused to give insight to the outcome of the NEC meeting
but stressed that the decision would be fair based on the
various congress resolutions of the meeting its leaders held
with President Goodluck Jonathan. Expectations were high
before the postponed ASUU NEC meeting because of the
death of its former national President that the industrial action
would be suspended after the Federal Government shifted
ground on the demands of the university lecturers.
Recalled that President Jonathan had to intervene after the
Vice President, Namadi Sambo and the chairman,
Implementation and Monitoring Committee led by the Benue
State Governor, Gabriel Suswam failed to produce positive
results. At the crucial November 5 meeting with ASUU
leaders in Aso Rock, the government agreed to provide
N220billion yearly for the next five years and improve on the
amount to be released for the contentious Earned Allowance.
Via: Sun news online
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