NIGERIANS REACT AS ASUU MEMBERS RESUME LECTURES
REPORTER: AMECHI ODO
Last friday, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended its eight months industrial action and called on its members to return to class.
This followed a Court of Appeal directive that the union should first comply with the Industrial Court judgment that asked the university teachers to resume work before their appeal would be entertained.
However, the suspension was received with mixed feelings by some stakeholders considering the setback it had caused the academic calendar.
Available records indicate that the just suspended industrial action was the 16th time members of ASUU withdrew their services since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
The latest, which commenced on February 14, 2022 was to press home demands ranging from funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, adoption of UTAS as payment platform for university lecturers to renegotiation of 2009 Agreement.
The Chairman of ASUU, EBSU Chapter, Comrade Ikechukwu Igwenyi, said in spite of the outcome of the strike, members of ASUU would adopt the resolution of NEC and resume teaching immediately.
Reports indicate that the willingness of the Federal Government to continue negotiation with the Union on issues of concern, among other things, informed the resolve by ASUU to return to class.
However, a parent and the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Ebonyi State, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, doubted government’s sincerity, alleging that the Federal Government would not honour its promises of continuing with the negotiation.
A student union leader, Comrade Olisa Nwuruku, said though they were happy to return to class, issues of concern such as tuition fee, rent and examination time table must be handled with caution to reduce pressure on students.
The Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Students Affairs, Mr. Gideon Onwe, said the suspension of the strike was long expected and would reduce the chances of students getting involved in social vices.
Apart from ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) was also on strike during the period under review.
The Chairman of the Association, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Comrade Emmanuel Chigbata, observed that though they returned to work, there were so many red flags, including none payment of backlog of arrears to his members.
Investigations revealed that as a result of the incessant strike in the nation’s universities, many Nigerians seeking tertiary education were leaving the shores of the country in droves.
For instance, figures released by the United Kingdom’s Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that the number of Nigerian students studying in the United Kingdom only rose by 64% between 2020 and 2021.
Similarly, Ghana High Commission in Nigeria was also quoted as saying that there were over 5,000 Nigerians studying in tertiary Institutions in Ghana.
In view of the development, a public affairs analyst, Mr. Chikere Ugwu, called on the Federal Government to come up with a sustainable plan towards ending the strike in the universities to check intellectual and economic drain due to students’ migration.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
