ASUU strike continues – Lecturers disown breakaway faction

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has ruled out any possibility of suspending its six months old strike.

ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, while addressing journalists in Abuja accused the Ministry of Labour and Employment, chaired by Chris Ngige as “Conciliator” for continuously creating more chaos in the resolution process.

Osodeke said the union will never suspend strike but ensure it puts a permanent end to it.

“ASUU therefore makes bold to say that the Minister of Labour and Employment has taken upon himself the role of unabashed protagonist in our ongoing dispute with the government of Nigeria for some inexplicable reasons.

“Dr Ngige earlier told whoever cared to listen that he was not the employer of university academics and advised the union to march to the Ministry of Education. Nigerians may wish to know why he has suddenly turned around to constitute himself as an impediment to an amicable resolution of the ongoing crisis.”

ASUU had on February 14 embarked on a strike to press home its demand, including the government’s investment in the nation’s university infrastructure, and payment of members’ salaries through the recommended University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), among several others.

At the end of the 30 days, the federal government failed to arrest the situation, which gave ASUU the impetus to roll-over the strike on March 14. More recently, the union declared another 12 weeks’ strike, thereby keeping the students perpetually at home.