ASUU Strike: CSO appeals to varsity teachers to end action as SSANU, NASU BUK return work

FG cannot break our ranks, ASUU insists

Worried by the continue shut down of academic activities at public universities in the country, a forum of Civil Society Organisation has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to end the six months old industrial disharmony and return to the classroom in the interest of future generation and national security.

The appeal came as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Allied and Education Institutions at Bayero University chapters confirmed their readiness to terminate their four months strike.

Confirming their positions, in a separate chat with The Guardian, the Secretary of SSANU, Comrade Nura Garba and NASU Chairman, Bayero University Kano, Abdullahi Nasiru Abdulrafiu, disclosed that their members will resume work this week in compliance with the directive of their mother bodies.

According to Garba, the branch executive of SSANU held a meeting on Sunday and has rescheduled an emergency congress meeting for Monday to unveil the outcome of the resolution reached with the Federal Government. He assured that senior staff would resume full duty on Wednesday.

Similarly, Chairman of NASU, Abdulrafiu explained that the union has also scheduled an emergency congress for Tuesday to discuss the outcome of the national executive council meeting after which the non-academic staff of Bayero University would resume duty.

After a series of meetings and negotiations between the Federal Government and the university lecturers which ended in deadlock, the concerned civil society insisted it is high time ASUU shifted ground for alternative peaceful resolution to address the lingering crisis.

Reacting to the outcome of the last meeting between ASUU and Federal Government, Chairman, Kano State Civil Society Forum, Comrade, Ibrahim Waiye, reminded that there was no way government could meet all the demands of ASUU without which the striking lecturers remain at home.

While calling on the varsity lecturers to call off their strike in the interest of the nation, he urged the Federal Government to release the six months salary of ASUU while calling for the suspension of the no work no pay policy.

According to him,“The strike is not speaking well of the country. As a giant of Africa, I don’t think there is anything to be proud of seeing our education system collapsing while the prospect and value of the education itself fades away just as the future is not guaranteed and if nothing is done urgently the end result may be disastrous.

“Our position is for both parties to shift ground because they cannot maintain the status quo at least in the interest of national security, unity and development. Security wise, it is dangerous to keep students out of schools while the nation is trying to curtail the worsening security challenges in the country. They can easily be exposed to all manners of dubious means.

“Already people are losing confidence in the university system. Apart from that, over 450,000 candidates have lost admission into the universities, a whole total session is gone, this is huge damage to the future of the students. This is not well for the development of a nation. While we urged ASUU to return to classrooms, we must also appeal to the government to suspend the no work no pay policy,” Waiya appealed.

Meanwhile, Chairman of ASUU, Bayero University, Kano, Professor Haruna Musa, insisted that ASUU would remain on strike until her demands are met. Besides, the union leader was optimistic that ASUU remain indivisible entity, united in the struggle of its members.

Reacting to speculation of possible division among ASUU, Musa said, “There is no division in ASUU and for your information, the union is the only academic staff of universities recognised by the laws of Nigeria.

“As I speak with you, we are on four weeks strike which would end on August 28. We shall remain on strike until our demands are met. Any issues and comments around division is diversionary and absolute falsehood,” Professor Musa insisted.