Academic activities in Nigeria has, again, been put on hold as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has embarked on an indefinite strike.
The Federal Government on the other hand is still waiting for the Minister of Education and Dr Wale Babalakin to brief it officially.
Meanwhile, the Association has directed its members not to “teach any course whatsoever” nor “conduct or supervise any examination at any level”.
In a memo to lecturers dated August 12, President of the ASUU national strike coordinating committee, Biodun Ogunyemi, said they resolved to go on the strike over the federal government’s failure to implement its 2009 agreement and 2013 memorandum of understanding, MoU.
He highlighted some of the issues as non-payment of salaries, non-payment of earned academic allowance, EAA, removal of universities staff schools from funding by government and non-implementation of provisions of the 2014 pension reform act with respect to retired professors and their salaries, amongst others.
The memo reads in part, “The national executive council (NEC) of ASUU met at the university of Abuja main campus, Giri, on the 12th of August 2017 to consider the results of a referendum from all branches in a bid to ascertain ways of convincing government to implement outstanding aspects of the 2009 agreement and MoU of 2013.
“The result of the referendum showed that an overwhelming majority of the branches of our union voted for the strike.
“In the light of the foregoing, and having exhausted all avenues to get the government to fully implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement and the 2013 MoU as well as related demands, resolved to embark on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action commencing Sunday, 13th August 2017.”
ASUU had earlier asked its branches to conduct a referendum among members on whether or not an indefinite strike should be called.
At a meeting in Abuja which ended in the early hours of Monday reviewed the overwhelming position of the branches to proceed on the industrial action and adopted it.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government seems not to have any choice but to wait for further briefings from Dr Wale Babalakin and other 15 members of his ‘re-negotiating team’ inaugurated in January this year by President Muhammadu Buhari before it can move on.
An highly placed source inside the State House in Abuja informed PMParrot on the phone on Monday evening that “The Federal Government cannot do anything directly since the Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu and Dr Wale Babalakin are supposed to be in charge.
“They should be contacted first.”
Packaged by Alice Egbedele with additional reports from thewillnigeria.com
