EDUCATION: ASUU to Parents: Keep Your Children at Home, Strike is Still On

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned parents not to endanger the lives of their wards and children by sending them to their university campuses, as directed by the Federal Government.

“Don’t risk the lives of your children and wards. Keep them at home because ASUU will not teach. Soldiers and the police deployed by the Federal Government will not teach. Wike can come and teach in the universities. It is a huge joke to sack lecturers. Our strike must not be in vain. Our students must see the results."

ASUU, which also directed all its members not to sign attendance registers in their institutions, lashed out at the Federal Government for lack of consistency in its statements on the ongoing strike.

The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday,  threatened that any ASUU member that failed to resume on or before December 4th would be sacked.

Wike also directed vice-chancellors to advertise vacancies (internal and external) in their institutions. He told the vice-chancellors to open attendance registers for lecturers that resumed in their universities.

The Government then directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to deploy policemen in all the federal universities.

But the Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Segun Ajiboye, said parents should keep their children and wards at home as no academic activity would resume until the strike is properly called off.

Ajiboye added, “It is funny. We thought we are in a democracy. I assure Nigerians that we know what the law says about the strike. Our job is statue backed. We are not threatened. We do not trust the government. The record of the government is clear. This government is dishonouring agreements. Our members are resolved to pursue this to a logical conclusion.

“If ASUU could withstand Babangida, this government cannot threaten us. We have worked this road before, the only thing that will work is peaceful resolution. It is sad that government wants to sack us because we are asking for the resolutions. We are ready to be sacked but government should learn from the University of Ilorin experience. We are going to stay the course.”

ASUU President, Dr. Nassir Fagge, urged the lecturers to be resolute. He said:

“Comrades, can you see the unfolding drama? Now Jonathan says they didn’t give ultimatum. That the vice-chancellors did and Wike became their trumpet. But NUC’s (National Universities Commission) ultimatum is by the Federal Government to us to resume or get sacked. 

“Wike’s press address says ‘FG has directed’ not ‘VCs have directed.’ Be calm, stay resolute. By God’s grace, we are on course.”

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