ASUU strike: OAU proceeds with exams, KSU plans extension

The one-week warning strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has turned many tertiary institutions in the country into ghost towns.

ASUU had on Monday announced the warning strike to press home its demands that the federal government should honour and implement the agreement it entered into with the union in 2009.

The strike action, which effectively began Wednesday, has crippled academic activities and even put a pause on ongoing examinations in some institutions.

Here’s a rundown of some tertiary institutions and the status update therein:

UNICAL on board

The University Of Calabar is fully on board with the warning strike and the ASUU leadership in the institution has also urged the union not to cave in until government heeds their demands.

KUST, FUTO on one-week ‘break’

At the Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), academic activities have ground to a complete halt.

The same is the case at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, as ASUU members are equally demanding that government meet their demands.

Examination suspended in UI

The University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of ASUU has vowed to ensure total compliance with the directive to proceed on one- week warning strike.

Deji Omole, chairman of ASUU-UI chapter, on Tuesday noted that the ongoing examinations at the faculty of education has been suspended till after the strike.

LASU, ATBU in sync

Lecturers of the Lagos State University (LASU) and their counterparts at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, are on the same page with ASUU.

EBSU in ‘full support’

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), academic activities have been suspended  the Ebonyi State University (EBSU).

Ndubuisi Ideyi, EBSU chairman of ASUU, was quoted to have said: “Our men are in full support of our national leadership, who has directed that ASUU members across the federation should proceed on one-week nationwide warning strike.

“We have suspended all academic activities including project defence and it will remain so within the period of the strike. It is unfortunate that the federal government has refused to honour and implement the earlier agreement it entered with the union in 2009 and has also failed to implement the 2013 MoU.

“ASUU is resolute on its position on the demand and will never be intimidated nor be forced to give up on its demand,” Ideyi said.

UNILAG ‘impressed, happy’ with full compliance

The ASUU chapter of University of Lagos (UNILAG) has said it is impressed and satisfied with the level of compliance to the week-long warning strike.

Adelaja Odukoya, chairman of ASUU- UNILAG, said: “We at the UNILAG are impressed with the compliance of members regarding the one-week nationwide warning strike.”

“We hear the National Assembly is calling for a reconsideration of our action and come over to dialogue. I do not think there is any seriousness in the concern they are showing now because we have been doing everything possible to hold dialogues on these issues raised and each time we try, it is promises or even outright silence.

“We are not happy that we are declaring the strike because we know how badly it affects us but since no one seem to border about the situation in our university system, then we have to take up to the occasion.”

OAU boycotts strike

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, is the only public institution to announce that it would boycott the nationwide strike.

In OAU, undergraduates are having their first semester examination for the 2015/16 academics session.

Adeagbo Amusan, chairman of the committee of deans in OAU, told Channels Television that the institution considered the plight of the students, hence its decision to abstain from the strike action.

“It’s a unanimous decision that much as we are aware of the directive of NEC, we would want our examinations to go on unhindered. We key into the national body of ASUU but we have some local issues to sort out here and we don’t want to externalize our internal affairs.

“We agreed on compassionate level having lost a lot of ground that we need to consider the plight of our students. Because we ought to have had this exams this time last year,” Amusan said.

KSU plans extension

The situation is a polar opposite in Kogi State University, where the ASUU-KSU chapter has said it may extend the one-week warning strike if the state government does not pay salary arrears of its members.

David Aina, ASUU-KSU chairman, told journalists that: “We expect the Kogi State Government to settle all outstanding salaries of all our members within this period of warning strike to forestall further disruption of academic activities in Kogi State University.

“The union will not continue to find its arms while our members suffer untold hardships in being able to feed , transport and fulfil their statutory obligations. We cry out once more; where the government that says it should be trusted? Where is the benefit of doubt?”, he asked.

UNIUYO on strike

At the University of Uyo (UniUyo), Akwa Ibom, lecturers are nowhere to found at the Uyo campus, its annex and the main campus of the university.