The nearly six-month old strike embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) may continue in some state universities as the national body of the association has just been suspended. If you are yet to, quickly run through the publication here.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government and ASUU signed an agreement recently to facilitate end to the industrial action that has paralysed the nation’s public universities.
In an interview with journalists after signing the agreement in Abuja, ASUU President, Nasir Fagge, said the association would make its position over the agreement known to the government “within one week” -which they have just done by calling off the strike. Details here.
However, a senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Benue State University, Makurdi, Dr Samson Sambe, said the strike could continue in some state universities.
Sambe disclosed this to National Mirror in a telephone interview when asked how he was preparing for ASUU’s much-anticipated resumption on campuses.
He said: “It depends on individual state universities. For us in the state university, even though the strike is called off, there are issues, local issues which have to be addressed.
“These are issues of payment of salaries and so on. So, though the strike is called at the national, there are states which have issues that bother on the payment of their salaries.
“We are not so enthusiastic yet. But, we just hope that, maybe, the various state governments will also be able to deal with such issues, believing that the right thing has to be done.”
Unresolved issues between states and ASUU, as said by Sambe, might dash the hope of students who are looking towards receiving positive pronouncement from the union to enable them resume school.
