Academic activities will continue in UniAbuja despite ASUU’s strike, says VC

The Management of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) says academic and administrative activities on campus will continue despite the declared strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

NAN reports that Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, the vice-chancellor (VC) of UniAbuja, spoke at a meeting with the provost, deans, directors, and heads of academic departments.

The ASUU at UniAbuja had declared an indefinite strike over a lingering dispute with the varsity’s management.

The dispute borders on the ASUU branch’s interest in a multi-stakeholder microfinance bank, promotion procedures in the absence of a governing council, election for faculty deanship, and alleged illegal appointments.

The university authorities had described the strike declaration as emanating from a disgruntled faction at the union.

The VC now says academic and administrative activities will continue on campus without disruption from ASUU.

“As far as the management of the university is concerned, this institution is not on strike. Some people said they have declared a strike but all of us with the management have decided that our normal activities in the university must go on,” he said.

“Our exam is going on, the senate meeting will continue. Everything we do as a university will continue. Our calendar will not be disrupted.

“It is wrong to cripple the university over issues that are merely sentimental and some of which we have dialogued over and resolved, we are prepared not to allow this disruption again.”

Sylvanus Ugoh, chairman of UniAbuja ASUU, had accused the varsity of conducting recruitment without due process, faulted promotion procedures, and alleged a delay in the election of the deans.

Na’Allah debunked all the reported allegations of the union which they claimed informed their declaration of indefinite strike.

“Take, for instance, the advert for the position of the vice-chancellor. They are not the only university that has advertised, we had the support and approval of the government,” the VC said.

“The advert was done by the minister of education. All I did as vice-chancellor was to ask for what was next.”

Na’Allah described the union’s allegations as unfounded, adding that the university followed due process in handling all these matters.