ASUU shuns sack threat

Varsity teachers remain adamant, despite a December 4 deadline for them to be back at work.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge said the union would fight to a logical conclusion.
He urged ASUU members to maintain the spirit of camaraderie and remain firm.
The Congress of the University of Abuja chapter has decided to go on with the strike.
Fagge’s stand was contained in an undated message posted on the union’s website.
The message reads: “Dear Comrades, as the struggle to save Nigerian University system is being pursued, I’ll like to salute all our members for their resoluteness in ensuring that the 2009 ASUU/Government Agreement is implemented in accordance with the Roadmap defined by the 2012 MoU.

“We believe very strongly that the rot and decay in the University System is not only arrestable but also reversible.
“We believe even more strongly that, the key to turning round the University System lies in the sincere implementation of the Agreement.
“What government has so far been doing is no more than a repeat performance of a one-act-play: all the deceptions, propaganda, lies, mischiefs and such other Shenanigans were tried by previous Governments, including Military Juntas, but our resolve to save the University System and our Country remained unwaivered.
“We will continue to carry the banner of this struggle to its logical conclusion. I urge all our members to maintain the spirit of camaraderie and remain firmly resolute in ensuring that our patriotic struggle succeeds. United we Bargain, Divided we Beg!”
ASUU members at the University of Abuja have voted to continue with the strike .
Although Vice-Chancellor Prof. James Sunday Adelabu, directed the students to resume yesterday, the lecturers have vowed not to teach.
According to a leader of the union, who spoke with our correspondent, the decision to sustain the strike was taken last Thursday by the lecturers.
The ASUU leader said: “We voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the strike at our congress.
“As we were voting, the VC was busy summoning a meeting of the Senate which could not form a quorum. Out of about 200 members, only 20 Professors, mostly consultants attended the session. You can see that the December 4 ultimatum will not work.
“Let the VC open the school, there will be no one to teach the students as from Monday. You can force a horse to the riverside; you cannot force it to drink water.”
ASUU National Treasurer Dr Ademola Aremu, said the union did not take the one-week ultimatum issued by the Federal Government seriously.
Aremu, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone yesterday, explained that the union did not understand why a letter requesting the government to assign an officer higher in rank than a permanent secretary to sign the new agreement it made with the union should warrant such a reaction.
According to him, the government had only paid N30 billion out of the N130 billion it pledged to release for this year. He said the union only asked the government to release the balance and also sign the agreement as a condition for suspending the strike.
He said the two conditions were those given by their members nationwide after meeting President Goodluck Jonathan last month.
Aremu said the government refused to implement the 2009 agreement on the excuse that only a permanent secretary signed it. He said members at their various branches insisted that a government official higher in rank should sign the agreement this time to prevent what befell the 2009 agreement.
“We can’t understand why that called for an ultimatum. We told the government that we would present its proposal to our members after which we would communicate their decision to the government. That was exactly what we did and that was the condition members gave. The National Executive Council cannot act otherwise. At any rate, there is nothing wrong in having agreement in black and white. It is the normal thing to do in labour agreements, “ Aremu said.
ASUU members at the weekend embarked on mass mobilisation of members not to surrender to the December 4 ultimatum.
The leadership of the union on Friday before departing from Abuja following the Federal Government’s return-to-work-or-be-sacked directive, directed all branch chairmen to devise means of mobilising their members not to fall for the threat, which it described as “empty”, pending the next National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union slated for Minna.
An official of the union who was at the Abuja meeting told our correspondent that the chairmen were also advised not to hold public congresses to avoid any face-off with security agent deployed in institutions for the implementation of the December 4 deadline for re-opening.
The source added that the date for the NEC meeting fixed for the Niger State capital might not be made public but that the council may reconvene at the weekend after chairmen of branches would have assessed the implementation of the deadline.
“Chairmen of all branches are to devise means of mobilising their members not to be intimidated into signing any register or returning back to classroom. We also resolve not to hold any open congress now that our campuses are militarised but we will ensure that our people are adequately informed.
“Same goes for the next NEC meeting. We resolved not to make public the date but we want all branches to monitor and ensure non-compliance with the Federal Government’s December 4 deadline before the council meeting slated for Minna, Niger State.”
The union’s officials have started using the short message service (sms) and other social media platforms to reach out to members not to succumb to the Federal Government’s threat which the union described as “empty”, insisting that the strike continues.
One of the messages reads: “Dear members, FG decision to threaten us with sack confirms our suspicion that FG may not be honest and can not be trusted. Don’t succumb to this empty threat. The strike continues. We shall triumph again. Please, DO NOT SIGN ANY REGISTER. ALUTA CONTINUA- CHAIRPERSON”.
Another message reads: “Dear Congress member, I’m appealing we should stay calm and remain resolute. There is nothing wrong in asking govt to do what it says it will do immediately. ASUU is not making any new demands as the minister is propagating. Govt is only repeating a ‘one act play’ scripted by the IBB dictatorship in early 90s. It didn’t work then, and, it won’t work now ALL BRANCHES are intact. We cannot be intimidated!!! UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG!!! ALUTA CONTINUA”.
The Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna has summoned an emergency congress meeting for today (Monday) at the Bosso Campus of the institution.
Source: The Nation