The joint Congress of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) and Ebonyi State University (EBSU) has vowed to continue with the ongoing nationwide strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The AE-FUNAI and EBSU lecturers at an emergency congress held on Tuesday at the Centre for Educational Service, AE-FUNAI voted unanimously to activate the rollover ASUU national strike.
The two universities in Ebonyi on Tuesday, rose after a joint emergency congress to activate the ASUU four-week rolled-over strike declared by the national body on Monday, August 1.This was disclosed in a statement released by the chairpersons of the two branches, Dr Ogugua Egwu and Dr Ikechuku Igwenyi respectively, a copy was made available to our correspondent on Wednesday in Abakaliki.
According to the statement, the branch chairpersons said the activation was in line with the National Executive Council (NEC) directive that all branch chairpersons convene an emergency congress to approve the extension, adding that joint congress approved the roll over without a dissenting voice.
The two leaders recalled that the NEC of the union triggered off the rollover strike action after the second 12-week rollover strike.“We voted for the continuation of the strike considering that the Federal government has failed to sign the draft of the Renegotiated 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement more than one month after it was concluded by Prof. Nimi Briggs-led Committee.
“NEC notes that the stoppage of members’ salaries, continued use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and non-adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) have continued to short-change its members.” NEC laments that non-payment of salaries to the striking lecturers was exposing their families to hunger, starvation, disease and malnutrition,” the statement read. T
he unionists reiterated that by re-activating the national strike action, members should not participate in any academic activities ranging from teaching, seminar and defence to statutory meetings of the Senate, Council, convocation or matriculation.They regretted that the two-week deadline given to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to find a solution to the lingering strike ended without any meeting or contact with the NEC.The ASUU chairpersons, however, said their members would resume teaching as soon as the strike was suspended.
They appreciated the State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for their massive support of the struggle through their solidarity protest march on July 26 in the state. They also called on parents, students and well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with ASUU to rescue the university education system from collapse.The chairpersons disclosed that their universities had been formally notified about the outcome of the emergency congress.Our correspondent recalls that ASUU in a press statement after its NEC’s meeting on Sunday, July 31, resolved to roll over the seven-month-old strike for four weeks from 12.01 am on Monday, August 1 to allow the government to satisfactorily resolve outstanding issues.
