Enough is enough, FG tells ASUU

* Go back to work Dec 4 or risk sack –Minister

From KEMI YESUFU, Abuja

Barely 24 hours after pro-chancellors of federal universities ordered vice-chancellors to re-open the institutions, the Federal Government yesterday took a definitive stand on the five months old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) giving similar directive to the latter. In fact, they had up till December 4 to comply.

The government also directed that all vice-chancellors to ensure a conducive atmosphere for returning staff, just as it warned that lecturers that failed to resume on or before December 4 automatically cease to be employees of the institutions.

Government’s directive is coming days after fresh demands issued by ASUU which the union said have to be met before it calls off its five months old strike.

The new demands following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held last Friday include that the government within two weeks begin the release and distribution of the N200billion it pledged to inject into the system.

ASUU also demanded that the government renegotiates the 2009 agreement by 2014 and that the Attorney-General of the Federation be made a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

But the supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, yesterday accused ASUU of taking the entire country for granted. The minister who spoke while announcing government’s new position at a press briefing held at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja said government  has reviewed the entire situation and concluded that the continuation of the strike was an attempt by the union to make a mess of all efforts to settle the dispute.

The minister who equally directed vice-chancellors to advertise for vacancies (internal and external) in their institutions for recalcitrant lecturers who will not yield to the directive, noted that government could no longer tolerate the continuous closure of its universities, after five months.

He said: “It was becoming obvious that the union is taking the Presidency and Nigerians for a ride. We have met with ASUU and if you engage in dispute and then we engage with you on dialogue, government has fulfilled its own part and you should also comply and go back to resume your normal activities.

“You would notice that it is only in this country where Mr. President will sit with you for over 13 hours and all issues have been resolved and you promised that within one week you will get back to us only to see a letter now giving new conditions outside what we have discussed. So, if anybody thinks that it is against the labour laws, well, they have a right to challenge government at the industrial court.

“Government will not fold its arms to continue to see the closure of universities, no responsible government will do that”, he said.

According to Wike,  the continued closure of universities was detrimental to the educational sector and the future of youths and national development.  He also  directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to monitor the compliance of the directive by the various universities.

His said: “Government has reviewed the entire situation and come to the conclusion that the continuation of the strike is an attempt by ASUU to sabotage all the efforts to address the issues.

“As a responsible government, we cannot allow the continuous closure of our public universities for this length of time (five months), as this poses danger to the education system, the future of our youths and national development.

“Consequently, the Federal Government has directed that all Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities that are currently on strike should immediately re-open for academic and allied activities as directed by the Pro-chancellors.

“Vice-Chancellors should ensure that staff who resume for work are provided with the enabling environment for academic and allied activities, any academic staff who fails to resume on or before December 4, 2013 automatically ceases to be a staff of the institution. Vice-Chancellors are also directed to advertise vacancies (internal and external) in their institutions,” Wike said.

ASUU said it asked Jonathan to facilitate the endorsement of resolutions reached with him and signed by high ranking government official preferably the Attorney-General of the Federation, but not a permanent secretary.

… Threat won’t work –Striking 

From GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said yesterday it has been vindicated that the Federal Government was not committed to implementing the resolutions it reached with the union. It was the union’s reaction to the Federal Government’s order asking the vice chancellors to re-open the institutions by December 4.

ASUU said Federal Government is wasting the time of youths and Nigerians by failing to perfect the resolutions and get the strike suspended.

While saying strike is a legal action, ASUU said the threat would fail, noting that public universities still need to employ 60,000 lecturers.

The lecturers said they have every reasons to be wary following the failure of government to honour their promises to Academic Staff Union of Polythecnics (ASUP), resident doctors, and health workers who have suspended their strikes.

ASUU further said the threat is an insult to the sense and sensibilities of Nigerians who were waiting on the Federal Government for positive reaction.

Presenting the reaction, National Treasurer, Dr Ademola Aremu said that the threat does not hold water as it has confirmed the fears that the Federal Government cannot be trusted.

“With the latest action, the Federal Government has shown that they are not committed to all they have been saying. We are saying that since we agreed at the meeting that the sum of 200billion is for 2012 and 2013 revitalisation, the Federal Government should deposit same in the Central Bank of Nigeria. We are already in November and December is around the corner. If they don’t do that now, when do they want to do it?. We are saying the non-victimisation clause should be included as agreed while the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement should be included as agreed with the presidents”.

“It is a pity if the Federal Government is not willing to perfect the resolutions reached with the union. This is why we find it difficult to trust our leaders by their words. How can someone be threatening to sack lecturers when universities are already short-staffed by almost 60,000. We are not in military era. The military tried it and failed. This one will fail again. They can re-open the school. ASUU did not shut down the universities. It was the school management that ordered the students to go back home.”

Aremu said it is only when ASUU proceeds on strike that funds get into universities which are then presided over by political appointees tagged: “Committee of Pro-chancellors”.

Aremu lambasted the supervising Minister for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike saying, the government’s threat borders on irresponsibility if it could wait for four months to make any steps and scuttle it through military orders.”