Govt orders varsity teachers to resume work before Dec.
• Directs VCs to sack, advertise vacancies
• ASUU says threat may prolong strike
FUMING at the failure of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its strike, the Federal Government yesterday directed the immediate reopening of all its universities.
It also directed that the position of any teacher who does not resume by December 4, 2013 should be declared vacant and advertised.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, made the position of the government known while briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja.
But the ASUU yesterday dared the Federal Government, insisting that the strike was a legal action. It warned that the threat would only make the strike to linger.
Wike said: “All vice-chancellors of the federal universities that are currently on strike should immediately reopen for academic and allied activities as directed by pro-chancellors.
“Any academic member of staff who fails to resume on or before December 4, 2013 automatically ceases to be an employee of the institution.
“Vice-chancellors should ensure that members of staff who resume for work are provided with the enabling environment for academic and allied activities.”
The minister also directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to monitor the compliance of the directives by the various institutions.
He revealed that as a responsible government, “we cannot allow the continuous closure of our public universities for this length of time (five months), as this poses a danger to the educational system, the future of our youths and national development.”
Wike noted that the Federal Government had met all its commitments and obligations with respect to the FG/ASUU 2009 Agreement.
“The Federal Government initiated a series of meetings between her team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), including the Ministers of Education, Finance, and Labour and Productivity, and other top government officials with the executive of ASUU. It should be noted that a joint Senate and House Committee on Education also intervened without success. A committee was also inaugurated for the implementation of the Needs Assessment Report.
“As a further demonstration of government’s commitment to resolving the crisis, His Excellency, Namadi Sambo, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on behalf of the Federal Government, intervened and invited ASUU to the meeting where the two contentious issues of Earned Allowances and Funding, for the revitalisation of the universities, were discussed and resolutions reached. There was still no positive response for ASUU.
“Consequently, on November 4, 2013, in a 13-hour meeting, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, met with ASUU executive, Labour union leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), where all the issues were resolved and firm commitments were made to address the lingering issues.”
He noted that the President’s gestures were enough to guarantee the commitment of government to addressing all issues as resolved at the meetings.
“At the end of the meeting with the President, the ASUU executive promised to meet with its NEC to present all the resolutions reached and report back by Friday, November 8, 2013. It is unfortunate that while travelling to attend the NEC meeting in Kano, we lost a key member and former President of the union, Prof. Festus Iyayi. Government sympathises with the family of the late Iyayi and ASUU.”
He, however, revealed that three weeks after the meeting with the President, ASUU responded by giving new conditions for suspending the strike.
He hinted that government had reviewed the situation and come to the conclusion that the continuation of the strike was an attempt by ASUU to sabotage all efforts to address the issues.
But ASUU said the threat further buttressed its earlier claim that the Federal Government was not committed to implementing any resolutions it reached with the union.
In his reaction, the National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr. Ademola Aremu, said the Federal Government was wasting the time of Nigerians and youths in the country by failing to perfect the resolutions and get the strike suspended.
The union said it had reasons to be wary following the failure of government to honour its promises to polytechnic teachers, resident doctors, and health workers who have suspended their strikes.
ASUU added that the threat was an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerians who were waiting for the Federal Government for positive reaction.
“With the latest action, the Federal Government has shown that it is not committed to its word. We are saying that since we agreed at the meeting that the sum of N200 billion is for 2012 and 2013 revitalisation, the Federal Government should deposit same in the Central Bank of Nigeria. We are already in November and December is around the corner. If they don’t do that now, when do they want to do it? We are saying the non-victimisation clause should be included as agreed while the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement should be included as agreed with the President.
“It is a pity if the Federal Government is not willing to perfect the resolutions reached with the union. This is why we find it difficult to trust our leaders by their words. How can someone be threatening to sack lecturers when universities are already short-staffed by almost 60,000? We are not in a military era. The military tried it and failed. This one will fail again. Government can reopen the schools. ASUU did not shut down the universities. It was the school management that ordered the students to go back home.”
Aremu berated Wike, saying it was a shame that the Federal Government would wait for four months to take any step and scuttle the strike through military orders.
“We are saying the government should show commitment to the resolutions. It should address the issues before it: we are not demanding any extra kobo. This is another long path to make the strike linger more than necessary.”
Meanwhile, Ekiti students in tertiary institutions who were tired of the strike yesterday took their case to God.
They held a prayer session and sought divine intervention in the impasse. The session, held at Lady Jibowu Hall, Ekiti Government House, had in attendance the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu and some clerics.
In her remarks, the deputy governor noted that the students did the right thing by taking their petition to God. She described as unfortunate that both parties to the dispute – ASUU and the Federal Government – remained adamant despite interventions from well-meaning Nigerians.
GUARDIAN
