As the remains of former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Festus Iyayi, were on Saturday buried at his country home, Ugbegun, Esan Central local government area, Edo State, students of tertiary institutions across the country appear to be in dilemma over the protracted face-off between the Federal Government and the union on the latter’s demands.
Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that the students are in a fix whether to honour the directive by the Federal Government, ordering authorities of university across the country to open their gates for the commencement of academic works or not.
Following the directive by the Federal Government that all tertiary institutions across the country should open their gates for the commencement of on Monday December 9, authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have announced resumption date for the students of the institution.
The management in a two-paragraph statement issued and signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the management of the university, has announced Sunday December 8 as the resumption date for the 2012/2013 rain semester.
Accordingly, students of the university are expected to come into residence on the above date, as lectures will commence immediately.
But, Chairman, OAU ASUU branch, Professor Adegbola Akinola, had declared that the union would continue with the strike until the government meets their demands.
Akinola said the union was not concerned with the government directive until the Federal Government complies with the union’s demands, adding that academicians would not return to classes.
The union at the national level had also denied any knowledge of the N200 billion said to have been deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the Federal Government as a way of resolving the six-month-old strike, which had paralysed academic activities in the nation’s universities.
ASUU also lamented that government was fond of rushing to the media with propaganda and falsehood, instead of resolving the contentious issues headlong and vowed to continue with the strike until it was officially notified about the payment.
Akintola, speaking on telephone on Saturday, said the union would continue with the strike as government was yet to officially notify it, detailing the evidence of such payment.
He said: “We read in the papers yesterday (Friday) that government has presented proof of the N200 billion deposited to in a CBN account for the funding of universities and therefore that we must call off the strike or face sack.
“As I speak to you, we are yet to get any evidence of the payment as claimed by government.
“Our union is still expecting an official reply of the letter we wrote to the President through the Supervising Minister of Education on November 22.
“As a union of intellectuals, we see the government’s claim as payment on pages of newspapers. What we are asking them is simple.
“All that we requested the government is to document all it said it has done and will do, and get it duly signed by the Attorney General of the Federation”.
At press time, some foreign students who did not travel down to their base were seen loitering around the campus, while few of those in the final year were seen returning to campus in compliance with the government directive.
Those that spoke with Sunday Independent said they heard the directive and complied by returning to school for normal academic work.
Olatunji Agboola, a final year student of Political Science, said he was returning to campus to allow him prepare for the examination, adding that they had spent much time at home doing nothing.
He explained: “We are tired of staying at home. It is our prayer that the directive works and ASUU complies with it since the government said it had met the condition set for it by the union”.
By this, academic activities are gradually picking up on the campus though not as expected.
Meanwhile, ASUU-Delta State Chapter, has resolved to continue with the union’s ongoing strike in support of the national leadership of the union, until the action is formally suspended, in line with the union’s procedures.
Emmanuel Mordi, Chairman, DELSU ASUU, in an interview with Sunday Independent at the weekend, said DELSU Congress, at the end of its special session, advised students in their own interest, to ignore any announcement from any quarters whatsoever to return for academic activities, maintaining that lecturers cannot guarantee the security of returning to an environment still besieged by all manner of hoodlums.
Mordi maintained that for the umpteenth time that the on-going strike could have been averted if the Federal Government had demonstrated good faith, and timely implemented the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, which all parties agreed was designed to reverse both the decay and brain drain in the Nigerian public university system, and reposition it, through immediate, massive and sustained financial intervention, to be internationally competitive and to shoulder greater responsibilities in national development.
Mordi claimed by its actions, government is attempting to repudiate the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of November 4 by mere subterfuge, adding that it is clear that government as usual, had no intention of implementing the latest agreement, and of restoring normalcy to public universities.
He said the union cannot allow the government to succeed in this escapist ploy as it has a duty to revitalise Nigeria’s public universities.
Meanwhile, the body former ASUU President, Prof. Festus Iyayi, was on Saturday buried at his country home, Ugbegun, Esan Central local government area of Edo State.
Present at the burial, which was solemn and devoid of fanfare, were Senator Abubakar Bagudu, who represented the Senate, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and former ASUU President, Prof. Attahiru Jega; Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole; Professor Abhulimen Anao, former Vice Chancellor UNIBEN, and Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Michael Ibadin,
Other dignitaries at the occasion were ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge; Dr. Dipo Fashina, former ASUU President; Ordia Ofeimu, Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo, former Attorney-General of Edo State, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, and members of UNIBEN academic community.
In his homely, Catholic Catechist Peter Omijie, urged Iyayi’s family members and associates not to cry over his death as they have the hope of seeing him again.
According to the Catechist, “We will, on resurrection morning, rejoice with him. Living our physical body is not the end of our lives,”.
He admonished the people to ponder over their spiritual destiny and where they will spend their eternity.
The interment of the late Professor of Business Administration, was preceded by labour songs offered by ASUU and civil society members, who came from all parts of the country.
INEC Chairman, Jega, described Iyayi as “one of the few Nigerians that I have known who has tremendous integrity and passion for progress and development of our country as one united country.
“I worked very closely with Festus Iyayi. He was like a brother to me. He is one of the few Nigerians that I have known, who have tremendous integrity and passion for progress and development of our country as one united country.
“He made tremendous sacrifices for the development of this country and reforms that can help ordinary Nigerians.
“It is a very sad loss to us, especially people who have know him for a long time. It is a sad loss for this country. This country has lost a gem; one of the best and patriotic Nigerian,” Jega said.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole has announced plans by the state government to immortalise the late Iyayi.
Speaking at a reception held at the Ugbegun Grammar School, Oshiomhole said the school will be rerebuilt and renamed Festus Iyayi Memorial Grammar School.
He also said a water scheme will be constructed at Ugbegun and named after Iyayi, to remind the people who he was and what he fought for.
Oshiomhole said: “Some of the things we can remember about the late Iyayi was his consistency, commitment and doggedness and he paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“He lived and died in the struggle and therefore we can in truth that the struggle was his life.
“We celebrate that God used him and his colleagues to put education on national discourse.
“God used him and his colleagues in ASUU such that today in every home the issue of state of education is on the front burner.
“It will no longer be convenient to downgrade the issue of education and because the future of countries are defined by its education and its human capital, what Iyayi and his colleagues have done and are doing is to put our future on discourse”, he said.
Meanwhile, academic activities was yet to resume at the University of Benin as at Friday despite directive by the institution’s authority asking all the academic staff to resume academic work last week Monday.
A statement issued by the Registrar of the University, Mrs. Grace Ogboghodo, last week, stated that “in line with the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria, all academic staff of the University of Benin are advised to resume for duty on Tuesday December 3, 2013.
“For the avoidance of doubt, attendance register will be made available in the office of the respective Dean/ Director for all academic staff to sign as an attestation to their resumption”, the statement added.
But, the UNIBEN ASUU,while reacting to the directive, stated that in spite of the announcement by the university authorities on Monday, which called on students and academic staff to resume duties, there was no sign that lecturers and students would heed the call for now.
Chairman of the UNIBEN chapter of the union, Dr Anthony Monye-Emina, who addressed journalists soon after the directive, advised parents to inform their children to stay at home, saying that the strike action will not be called off until the Federal Government implements the agreements.
“We want to advise parents not to send their children back to campus in the event of any announcement of resumption of classes by the university administration in line with the supervisory minister’s directive.
“The union has not called off the strike. The President should continue on the path of honour to dialogue with the union as this is the only way to find an immediate and lasting solution to the crisis in the university system,” Monye-Emina said.
