The Congress of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti branch, has opposed the directive of the institution’s management, calling for the resumption of academic activities.
Edward Olanipekun, vice chancellor of EKSU, last week ordered the institution to reopen for academic activities in defiance of ASUU’s ongoing strike.
The nation’s universities have been closed since February due to the ASUU strike, which has now transmuted into a total and indefinite strike.
“It was a decision made by the stakeholders on the effect of this prolonged strike on the institution and our position has been made public on our intention to start work and restore normalcy,” Olanipekun said.
Although non-academic staff and some students had arrived at the school on Monday, according to the directive, teachers stayed away.
The speakers at their Congress this Wednesday resolved that the decision of the management to reopen the school was ineffective since they will only return to work by the directive of the ASUU National Executive Committee.
A statement issued after the congress, which was made available to our correspondent, said that the congress should transmit the NEC’s decision to the members on the decision of an indefinite strike and review the situation at EKSU.
“EKSU’s peculiar problems are not foreign to all of us and predate our current struggles,” said the statement signed by ASUU President Kayode Arogundade.
“As such, a call for the resumption of academic activities in the midst of national action suggests an attempt to criminalize ASUU’s struggles and a blatant claim that EKSU is not a major beneficiary of previous national struggles.
“To this end, it was agreed that: The University (EKSU) administration should give ASUU the respect given to other sister unions prior to the suspension of their national strike and stop acting as if the union was immaterial in the running of the system. .
“In essence, ASUU-EKSU remains a very strong offshoot of ASUU and will not succumb to any cheap blackmail or intimidation from any quarter to call off the current fight without NEC leadership.”
Congress also praised NEC’s declaration of a full strike, saying it had been long overdue as the government had not shown sufficient commitment and sincerity to the spirit of collective bargaining.
This comes as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) urged the federal government to apply its power to “hire and fire” any employee in dealing with university professors over the indefinite strike declaration.
NANS accused ASUU of promoting private universities, where many of them currently work and have their pupils.
NANS President Sunday Asefon said this in a statement in reaction to ASUU’s declaration of an indefinite strike last week to press for some pending demands from teachers.
Mr. Asefon said that decision was easy for ASUU to make because many of its leaders do not have their alumni in public universities and many professors are employed by various private universities across the country.
He lamented the alleged destructive disposition of ASUU members to the growth of public universities, accusing them of not mistrusting the imminent collapse of the system by their conduct.
“Some of them are not affected in any way by their attempt to crash the sector for their selfish and thoughtless gains. ASUU had initially managed to mask their strike as being in the interest of Nigeria and in the interest of the many Nigerian students,” he said.
“The events of the last few weeks have therefore made it very clear that ASUU has an ulterior motive, which is to collapse the university education system in Nigeria and systematically promote private universities where many of them have their children.
“The government must maintain its position as an employer and use its power to hire and fire effectively at this time to save our education system from total collapse planned by ASUU.”