ASUU STRIKE: Adamawa State University Lecturers withdraw

 

The Adamawa State University’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been thrown into controversy over the ongoing nationwide strike by the union, with a faction announcing its withdrawal from the industrial action called by its national body.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the development followed a vote of “no confidence” passed by some lecturers on the chapter’s executive council in Mubi on Thursday.

The vote was passed during a special congress where a Dr Kamkwis Zira was nominated as the new acting Chairman.

Mr. Zira, who announced the withdrawal, accused the ousted executive council members of joining the nationwide strike without due consultation with members.

“The new executive council has met with the university authorities and resolved to resume lectures on Monday,” the new acting Chairman said.

In a swift reaction however, the ousted chapter chairman, Molem Ishaku, said he was still in charge and that the strike would continue.

Mr. Ishaku described his removal as “an illegal development that cannot stand”.

When contacted on the development, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Alkasum Abba, said all he knew was that the chapter’s ASUU had withdrawn from the nationwide strike.

ASUU has been on strike for almost three weeks, paralyzing academic activities at all Nigeria’s public universities.

At a recent meeting with government officials, ASUU insisted that the Federal Government should implement the agreements reached in 2009 before it would call off its strike.

Some of the issues in contention include: funding, university autonomy, academic freedom, earned academic allowance and registration of Universities Pension Management Company.

Others are: amendment of pension retirement age of academics at the professional cadre, federal assistance to state universities and transfer of Federal Government landed property to universities.

ASUU President, Dr Nasir Fagge, told the government team that only two of the nine agreements had been met.

“We cannot renegotiate what was already agreed in 2009, so the best thing is, let government go and implement the aspects of the agreement as they have proposed to us themselves,” he said. “Once that is done, I am confident that it will engender confidence among our members and our members nationwide will be able to review the situation at any moment and take appropriate decision.