The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the ongoing “one-month warning strike” will continue if the Buhari regime does not accede to its demands.
Chairman of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Chapter of ASUU, Dr Steve Ufoaroh, described the industrial action as a “rolling strike”. He said members in his chapter are in full compliance.
“Any academic programme that involves our members has been suspended and you know it is a rolling strike,” Mr Ufoaroh declared. “At the end of the one-month warning strike, if nothing changes, it will continue.”
Speaking further, Mr Ufoaroh said ASUU-NAU had set up a strong monitoring team to enforce the strike in the institution, pointing out that members were not allowed to access their offices.
He said lectures, workshops, students, production of results and orientation programmes for freshmen had all been put on hold in compliance with the industrial action.
The labour leader advised that students should be told to vacate hostels, which are still open, for security purposes since there was no academic activity.
Ifunanya Okoye, Vice President, NAU Students Union, confirmed that no academic activity was going on in the university.
Ms Okoye said the matriculation ceremony, earlier fixed for early March, has been postponed while final year students were stuck as lecturers were not working on their results.
She, however, pointed out the NAU-SUG was fully in support of ASUU, calling on the federal government to address the perennial challenges bedevilling the nation’s universities.
According to the SUG leader, “ASUU members are not just our lecturers, they are our parents, uncles, aunties and whatever affects them also affects us.
“Our appeal is that the Federal Government should resolve this issue once and for all; for a four-year programme, we spend six years. These strikes encourage idleness which is the reason for crimes, drug abuse and security challenges in the country.
“We want the Federal Government to listen to ASUU… NAU SUG is with ASUU and we will not join in any anti-ASUU strike.”
(NAN)
