ASUU STRIKE: FUTO, ESUT, UniJos resume academic activities

The crumbling resolve within the ranks of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) has been evidenced by the
resumption of academic activities in three more schools in the
country.

Seven academic institutions had previously withdrawn from
the strike with the reported ultimatum from the Federal
Government leading to the resumption of activities in the
Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT),
the University of Jos in Plateau and the Federal University of
Technology Owerri in Imo.

The academic body has however insisted that it would
continue the strike until its demands were met and it also
urged its members not to give in to the Federal Government's
tactics

Leadership Reports:

The government had, through the acting minister of
education, Nyesom Wike, ordered universities to reopen and
threatened to sack any lecturer that failed to report to work.
LEADERSHIP checks showed that the authorities of the
University of Jos have directed lecturers to resume work
immediately.

The university's registrar, Jilli Dandam, issued a statement,
which reads in part: "The Pro Chancellor and Chairman of
Council on behalf of the Governing Council has directed that
all academic staff of the University of Jos should return to
their various departments, units and commence work
immediately. Every head of department should publish lecture
time- table for all academic programmes immediately."
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that students
and lecturers of the Enugu State University of Science and
Technology (ESUT) on Monday returned to school following
a directive by the school authorities.

The NAN correspondent who monitored the situation at the
Enugu and Agbani campuses of the university reported that
the students were in their various departments exchanging
pleasantries and checking the notice boards while the lecturers
held a meeting with the governing council of the university at
the Agbani campus.

Similarly, when our correspondent visited the Federal
University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, the university
had issued a directive for lecturers and students to return to
classes.

The directive was contained in a press statement issued to
journalists yesterday and signed by the registrar and secretary
to the council of the school, Orje Ishghnor. According to the
statement, the school had called off the strike based on the
directive of the federal government.

Meanwhile the FUTO chapter of ASUU told the students to
disregard the resumption notice by the school management,
stating that its members would not go back to the class until
their agreement between the federal government is met. This
was contained in a communiqué issued to journalists and
signed by the state chairman, Dr Ikenna Nwachukwu, and
secretary, Dr F.M. Dike, yesterday in Owerri.

Also, lecturers of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
and Osun State University have refused to report at their duty
posts despite the FG's directive that they should go back to
work.

The chairman of the OAU chapter of ASUU, Professor
Akinola Adegbola, told our correspondent at Ile-Ife that the
threat by the federal government to sack lecturers who refused
to resume for work was not new.

According to him, such threat was experienced during the
regime of the late General Sani Abacha and the resultant
effect is still fresh in the mind of Nigerians.