The ultimatum given to members of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, expired yesterday, but the union
defied the ‘resume of get sacked’ threat
by the federal government, with classes
in several schools still deserted as the
lecturers failed to resume work.
At the University of Lagos, University of
Ibadan, Oyo State, Lagos State
University, Ojo, University of Benin, Edo
State, lecturers stuck to their guns and
refused to attend classes.
Apparently stunned by the refusal of
university lecturers to resume classes at
the expiration of the 9 December
ultimatum, the Federal Government has
summoned all Vice Chancellors of
federal and state universities to a
crucial meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
Also invited to the meeting were
members of the Implementation
Monitoring Committee (IMC) On Needs
Assessment Report for inauguration.
ASUU has a representative in the IMC.
A statement signed by the Executive
Secretary, National Universities
Commission, Professor Julius Okojie, on
behalf of the Supervising Minister of
Education, Barrister Nyeson Wike,
published in a national daily yesterday,
called on Vice Chancellors to come to the
meeting with a list of their prioritised
projects based on Needs Assessment
Report for funding.
“In addition, Vice Chancellors of state
universities must come along with with
their account details,” the statement
added.
It is however not clear whether the
meeting was called to disburse the N200b
the government said it had deposited in
an account with the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN, which ASUU is insisting
must be communicated to it formally.
The sack threat by the federal
government has been condemned by
many Nigerians, even as the union
remain unfazed.
A member of the Senate Committee on
Education, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, at
the weekend said that issuing threat
and deadline to the lecturers was not
the best way to resolve the lingering
ASUU strike.
“I condemn all provocative statements
from whosoever. We are all Nigerians,
ASUU members are Nigerians committed
to the development of the Nigerian
state. We have interacted with them,
and they are committed to the uplift
meant of the education sector along
with others who are also committed to
the sector. So, issuing threat by
whosoever is condemnable,” Bagudu said.
ASUU’s insistence on getting all
agreements well documented and signed
by the Attorney General of the
federation, and the subsequent request
for a formal information on the N200bn
the FG claimed to have deposited with
the CBN may not be too much to ask for,
as the union recalled incidences where
the government had used the media to
propagate falsehood and promises never
kept.
The President, ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge
Isa, said the lecturers were not moved
by the N200 billion that the federal
Government announced that it had
deposited in the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN.
“In January 2012, when the Secretary to
the Government [Anyim Pius Anyim] of
the Federation was dictating that MoU,
he told us that they had already set
N100 billion aside and that once we
finished the NEEDS Assessment report,
the money would be made available for
the commencement of implementation
of the revitalisation of universities. That
is almost two years ago,”
Fagge said in an interview in the current
edition of TheNEWS magazine.
Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, expired yesterday, but the union
defied the ‘resume of get sacked’ threat
by the federal government, with classes
in several schools still deserted as the
lecturers failed to resume work.
At the University of Lagos, University of
Ibadan, Oyo State, Lagos State
University, Ojo, University of Benin, Edo
State, lecturers stuck to their guns and
refused to attend classes.
Apparently stunned by the refusal of
university lecturers to resume classes at
the expiration of the 9 December
ultimatum, the Federal Government has
summoned all Vice Chancellors of
federal and state universities to a
crucial meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
Also invited to the meeting were
members of the Implementation
Monitoring Committee (IMC) On Needs
Assessment Report for inauguration.
ASUU has a representative in the IMC.
A statement signed by the Executive
Secretary, National Universities
Commission, Professor Julius Okojie, on
behalf of the Supervising Minister of
Education, Barrister Nyeson Wike,
published in a national daily yesterday,
called on Vice Chancellors to come to the
meeting with a list of their prioritised
projects based on Needs Assessment
Report for funding.
“In addition, Vice Chancellors of state
universities must come along with with
their account details,” the statement
added.
It is however not clear whether the
meeting was called to disburse the N200b
the government said it had deposited in
an account with the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN, which ASUU is insisting
must be communicated to it formally.
The sack threat by the federal
government has been condemned by
many Nigerians, even as the union
remain unfazed.
A member of the Senate Committee on
Education, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, at
the weekend said that issuing threat
and deadline to the lecturers was not
the best way to resolve the lingering
ASUU strike.
“I condemn all provocative statements
from whosoever. We are all Nigerians,
ASUU members are Nigerians committed
to the development of the Nigerian
state. We have interacted with them,
and they are committed to the uplift
meant of the education sector along
with others who are also committed to
the sector. So, issuing threat by
whosoever is condemnable,” Bagudu said.
ASUU’s insistence on getting all
agreements well documented and signed
by the Attorney General of the
federation, and the subsequent request
for a formal information on the N200bn
the FG claimed to have deposited with
the CBN may not be too much to ask for,
as the union recalled incidences where
the government had used the media to
propagate falsehood and promises never
kept.
The President, ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge
Isa, said the lecturers were not moved
by the N200 billion that the federal
Government announced that it had
deposited in the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN.
“In January 2012, when the Secretary to
the Government [Anyim Pius Anyim] of
the Federation was dictating that MoU,
he told us that they had already set
N100 billion aside and that once we
finished the NEEDS Assessment report,
the money would be made available for
the commencement of implementation
of the revitalisation of universities. That
is almost two years ago,”
Fagge said in an interview in the current
edition of TheNEWS magazine.
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