UNN Activities Shut Down As ASUU Nationwide Strike Lingers

 

A Vanguard report has shown that the academic activities at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka have been paralyzed as Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) UNN branch joined the ongoing strike embarked by the national body of the union last Sunday to compel federal government to implement memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the union in 2012, 2013 and 2017. 

 

Addressing journalists shortly after the Congress of UNN branch of the union the chairman Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Abada said the strike is total,  indefinite and comprehensive till federal government adheres to do the needful. 

 

Dr.  Abada said that ASSU would not continue signing MoU without implementation, explaining that the ones of 2012, 2013 and 2017 has not been attended to for the past seven years and that was the more reason for the strike throughout all universities in the country.

 

He said that ASSU didn’t embark on strike for her personal interest but for funding for revalitasation of public universities based on the the MoU with national body of the union.

 

He said that government intention was to commercialise public universities to the detriment of poor students that may not afford to pay exorbitant tuition fees at private universitie while ASSU belives that education should be properly funded “we have written to the vice chancellor university of Nigeria, Nsukka Prof.  Benjamin Ozumba informing management of the total and comprehensive strike as no lecturer would attend classes and academic board meetings both at the department and faculties till ASSU sees green light of her demand based on the memorandum of action MoA of 2017″  he said. "We have  set up monitoring committee headed by Dr. S. O Asogwa to be going round departments and faculties to fish out any lecturer who maybe sabotaging the strike action of the national body of ASSU” 

 

He advised students to go back to their respective homes pending when the strike would be called off, saying that the actions of UNN branch of ASSU in Nsukka and Enugu campuses  of the University was in compliance with the national body of the union.

 

He noted that the national body of the union in a national executive meeting (NEC) held in Akure asked federal government to release forensic aduit report on earned allowances, settlement of of arrears of earned allowances and mainstreaming same into salaries with effect from 2018 bughet among other issues raised.

 

The branch chairman ASSU UNN chapter noted "ASSU is also for the reconstitution of the current 177govern17ment team to allow for a leader and chairman of the federal government /ASSU renegotiating team who has the interest of the nation and people at heart.”

 

Dr Abada said that the problem  of ASSU and federal government started in 2009 which gave birth to the MoU of  2012, 2013 and MoA of 2017.