ASUU Suspends Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has officially suspended the three months strike it started. The union directed university lecturers to resume duty from Monday, 12th of February, 2019. ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on 4th of November, 2018, following government’s failure to implement the agreement reached with the union in November 2016.

The suspension of the strike was announced on Thursday evening after a meeting between the ASUU leadership and the federal government delegation led by labour minister, Chris Ngige. The ASUU delegation was led by its president, Abiodun Ogunyemi, who announced the suspension of the strike.

At the meeting, a memorandum of action was signed by the two parties. Mr Ngige said the union agreed with the government that N25 billion naira will be released for the revitalization of public universities. Visitation panels have been constituted and will commence work on the 2nd of March, 2019.

“In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MOUof 2013,” Mr Ogunyemi said.

Reasons for Suspending The ASUU Strike

In announcing the suspension of the strike, Mr Ogunyemi read a prepared speech detailing the agreements the union reached with the federal government. According to Vanguard News, He listed eight items contained in the agreement signed by ASUU and the federal government.

“Friends and compatriots of the Press, On Sunday, 4th November, 2018, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resumed its strike action which was conditionally suspended on 14th September, 2017.

The action of 2017 was suspended following the signing of a Memorandum of Action (MoA) in which the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) promised to address the contentious issues within a timeline that was to end in October 2017. While announcing the suspension of the nationwide action, however, our Union made it categorically clear that “ASUU will not hesitate to review its position should government renege on the signed Memorandum of Action.

” Predictably, Government implemented the MoA in the breach, thereby forcing ASUU to resume the suspended strike action.

“Comrades and compatriots, as we have always argued, the last thing ASUU members love doing is to cause disruption in smooth intellectual engagements with colleagues, friends and students right on our university campuses. This has nothing to do with the dubious advertorial of “non-disruption of academic calendar” by proprietors and administrators of some cash-and-carry universities and other self-styled enemies of ASUU. Rather, it is about deep-seated pains members of the Union undergo to prevent strike actions and the equally painful consequences strike
situations bring to all who are genuinely averse to the mercantile disposition to university education”.

ASUU acknowledges the understanding and support demonstrated by patriotic Nigerian students and their parents all through the strike period.

“While we put a closure to this phase of the struggle, it is our hope and desire that the Nigerian governments (Federal and State) will play the roles expected of them in order to make the new Memorandum work. We shall
never abandon our obligation to ensure the survival of a sound university system. For ASUU, the struggle certainly continues!“