ASUU, NLC Politicising Strike – Group alleges

A group, known as the Unity Project Nigeria (UPN) on Monday accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigeria Labour Congress of engaging in clandestine meetings with leading opposition groups in the country in order to frustrate the efforts of government to suspend the strike even as hundreds of angry market women Monday in Abuja protested the continued strike.
And in Adamawa State, the management of the state’s university in Mubi had threatened that it would no longer pay salaries of striking lecturers at the university, whil
e ASUU members of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka branch, numbering over 150, Monday besieged the popular Aroma junction Awka, Anambra State to hold a rally aimed at enlightening Nigerians on the reasons for their strike.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the founder and leader of the UPN, Igwekala Ugomsduefule alleged that the labour leaders may have been offered financial gratifications to support the strike.
Ugomsduefule while expressing concern over the continued hard-line position of the ASUU leadership despite appreciable commitments and overtures made by the Federal Government to resolve the issue, blamed NLC for trying to escalate the strike by threatening to call out its affiliates on a nationwide strike.
“Information on ground indicate that the Nigerian political opposition, a known desperate, power-mongering philistine and undemocratic movement have since hijacked the ASUU movement and now the NLC leadership, ” he said.
Ugomsduefule alleged that there was a meeting between the NLC leadership and one of the arrowheads of the opposition and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi last Friday.
However, Both the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its reaction described insinuation that opposition was behind ASUU strike utterly baseless.
The APC said the PDP- Federal Government should blame its incompetence and inability to end the crisis brought on the education sector by the ASUU rather than chasing shadows or blaming the opposition.
And in Abuja, hundreds of angry protesting market women urged the federal government and ASUU to quickly resolve the industrial action.
The women, led by the president of the Abuja Market Women’s Association, Mrs. Felicia Sani, gave a two-week ultimatum to the union to end the lingering industrial action.
The women decried the continued stay at home of their wards, while also putting the blame at the doorstep of the lecturers.
Mrs. Felicia Sani accused the lecturers of not wanting to call off the strike due to personal reasons.
“ASUU people must not allow themselves to be instrument of chaos in the hands of disgruntled politicians. What they are doing now shows they are becoming politicians. They are making our children to suffer. This is not the way to collect entitlement from government.”
And in Anambra State, the ASUU members of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka branch, numbering over 150, Monday besieged the popular Aroma junction Awka, Anambra State in a rally aimed at enlightening Nigerians on their reasons for the strike.
Addressing journalists at the rally arena, the ASUU, NAU Chairman, Prof Ike Odimegwu explained that the essence of the strike is for the federal government to implement the agreement it entered into with the union since 2009.
“After four years of an agreement, the federal government has not significantly implemented the agreement and the items of this agreement are fundamental to the growth of Nigeria as a nation because they touch at the very foundation of our education system. The funding of our university has decayed that they need fundamental surgical operation.”
Also contributing, the Nsukka Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr Chidi Osuagwu said that ASUU is no longer talking about negotiation or conference but implementation of an already negotiated agreement.
However, the Adamawa State government is taking a tough stance against the lecturers warning that they will forfeit their salaries should they fail to call of their strike.
The warning is contained in a statement, signed by the Registrar of the state university, Jinatu Garnvwa in Yola.
Jinatu said that sub-section 4 of the Labour Act, Chapter 198, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 states that “every employee is free to be a member of a trade union and to participate in its lawful activities.
“It also provides that no employee shall demand as a right from employer any payment of the agreed wages after 90 days of a subsisting strike.
“In the light of the above provision of the labour act, you should note that the 90 days of the subsisting strike had expired on Sept. 30.
“Therefore, the university will no longer pay the salaries of your members.” she stated.
DAILY TIMES