Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Despite the ultimatum given by the Federal Government to the striking university lecturers to call off the strike or face the risk of being sacked, the lecturers have remained resolute in their stand, saying they would only shift ground when government does the right thing.
The sack threat which was made through the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, a week ago, ordering the striking lecturers to resume work on or before December 4, or face the prospect of being sacked. The ultimatum has now been extended to Monday, December 9.
Briefing journalists on Monday, National President, ASUU, Dr. Nasir Fagge said government was free to open all the federal universities in the country but all ASUU members would not go back to work unless the government met all their demands.
“We shall bow only to what we as academics are convinced will serve the interest of Nigeria and its people, no matter their ethnic, religious or class origins. This is where we stand we shall never be cowed.
“Since the issuance of the union’s response to the said letter, the salvos that have been coming out, allegedly from the Minister of Education, make one to wonder whether the person that is charged with the responsibility of superintending over the Nigeria’s education system has the wherewithal to handle such a vital national assignment.”
When
asked if the pull away varsities would not affect the struggle, the
LASU ASUU Chairman, Dr. Idris Adekunle, said “we are not bothered with
any pull-away school and government’s threat to sack us. Nigerians are
too knowledgeable to be cowed by those old storyline of the past.
The ASUU President stated that ASUU had no role in closing and opening of universities in Nigeria, rather it could withdraw its services which he said was the right of every worker.
Justifying government’s plans to sack lecturers, the Public Relations Officer, National Universities Commission, Mallam Ibrahim Yakassai said: “Federal Government has every right to sack ASUU if the union is being unreasonable, just the same way your employer has the right to sack you.
“Everyone keeps going on and on about the 2009 agreement, everyone is listening to ASUU, but no one wants to listen to government, which has given ASUU most of the things they asked for and has bent over backwards for ASUU.
“Government would be justified in sacking lecturers if they do not return to the classrooms, lecturers are not the only ones in the employ of the Federal Government to be causing this kind of headache.”
Pointing out that the union is unperturbed by the threat, the Chairman of ASUU, Lagos State University, LASU, Dr. Idris Adekunle, said: “there is no law that established any committee of Pro-Chancellors, therefore, we are not bound by any directive of the Committee. We are on a national strike and are still negotiating with government and we know that such directive is not in the best interest of education stakeholders.
