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Tag: Asuu strike

  • S’West NANS kicks against FG suit against ASUU

    S’West NANS kicks against FG suit against ASUU

    The South-West National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has distanced itself from the suit instituted by the Federal Government of Nigeria against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    This follows the suit by the NANS factional President, Umar Farouk, against some ministers and striking university lecturers.

    This is contained in astatement signed by five executive members of the zone, led by the Coordinator, Adegboye Olatunji, on Saturday.

    The statement noted that ASUU was was on a genuine cause of public interest, adding that a serious student leader would show solidarity with the striking lecturers.

    “The suit would have been a welcomed development for Nigerian students but for two critical reasons, we cannot but declare the move as lacking merit and reasoning.

    “On one hand, the person who filed the suit acclaimed himself to be the President of NANS in the suit. This needs to be stated publicly that Umar Farouk, though, contested in the last National Election of NANS held precisely on September 4, 2022, but lost the election to Usman Barambu, who won in a landslide victory.

     

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    “This forms the basis of the lack of merit of the suit in that you cannot assume a position you do not have right to and still file a suit in the capacity of that office.

    “On the other hand, the suit clearly stated that ASUU has also been sued. It would be expected that a supposed President of an ideological association as NANS should understand the principle of solidarity among all unions especially on matters of public interest as what ASUU stands for in this case.”

    “ASUU cannot be sued for expressing her fundamental rights as a Union by adopting strike as last option after many failed attempt to get the Federal Government do the needful. There were several agreements reached between ASUU and the government before and during this strike, none has been fulfilled by the government while ASUU in the recent past had suspended her intended strike options in honour of these agreements.

    “Yet, the government failed to honour the agreement which it willingly entered into. The question then is, on what reasonable ground would a purported student leader sue ASUU?” NANS queried.

    “His suit against ASUU does not represent the position of Nigerian students. It is the responsibility of the government to fund education while lecturers have the right to good working condition. These are universal standard. As a zone, we have shown our commitment to the struggle of saving public university education and we are resolute on continuing in same manner.”

    The body said the demands of ASUU were reasonable, ideological, and progressive in the interest of the masses, adding that the demands called for the support of every reasonably progressive individual and organisation.

    The statement was co-signed by NANS Joint Campus Committee chairmen of Ogun, Ondo, Lagos and Oyo states, Kehinde Simeon, Omotosho Surprise, Olusesi Tolulope and Adeleke Quadri respectively.

  • ASUU Strike : Buhari meets committee of Pro-Chancellors in Abuja

    ASUU Strike : Buhari meets committee of Pro-Chancellors in Abuja

    A meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and some selected members of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of the universities owned by the Federal Government is currently holding in Abuja.

    Reports have it that the meeting is taking place at the state house in Abuja and that it’s connected with the lingering industrial action embarked upon by the public university lecturers in the country.

    The Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmed disclosed this in a post on his official social media handles.

    His post reads in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with selected members of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of the Federal Universities, at the State House, Abuja”.

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government has held many meetings to resolve the lingering strike but it has all proved abortive.

    Perhaps, fed up with the lecturers  who refused to shift grounds, the Federal Government filed a suit against ASUU at the National Industrial Court (NIC)

    Meanwhile, NIC has adjourned the matter filed before it by the federal Government till September 19, 2023, for a ruling on the case.

    ASUU has embarked on industrial action since February 14, 2022, without any date in sight for resumption.

     

     

  • ASUU strike: Court to deliver ruling in FG’s prayer Sept. 19

    ASUU strike: Court to deliver ruling in FG’s prayer Sept. 19

    The National Industrial Court on Friday fixed Sept.19 to deliver ruling on Federal Government’s prayer asking the court to order the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its seven months strike.

    The matter which was first mentioned on Monday was adjourned until Friday for further mention before Justice Polycarp Hamman.

    When the matter came up, Mr J.U.K Igwe SAN informed the court that going by its directive on Monday that the claimant should file its process latest by Tuesday, that they had filed two processes.

    He added that the first one was motion on notice dated and filed Monday for an interlocutory injunction.

    Igwe further stated that the claimant also filed on the same date an affidavit of facts in support of the referral sent by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

    He also averred that some questions were raised with a full complement of a written address.

    He also submitted that the defendant had been served with proof of service before the court.

    The counsel said that however, as at the time the court was sitting, he had not received an response from ASUU.

    Igwe proceeded to urge the court to take the applications as it was ripe to be taken, stating that the matter is of national interest and urgent as million of students have been at home since Feb.14.

    Mr Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to ASUU in response acknowledged receiving process from the claimant and stated that they were already filing their reply in the court’s registry.

    Falana added that the Minister of Labour and Employment lacked the power to ask the court in his referral to order the defendant to go back to work.

    He also informed the court that ASUU will be meeting stakeholders in the House of Representative on Sept.20 to ensure that the matter is resolved.

    Earlier Mr Ebuolu Adegoruwa SAN, counsel to Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) had raised the issue of joinder and consolidation of the suit, citing section 36 of the 1999 constitution to fair hearing

    He submitted that the court should invoke the cited section in SERAP’s favour to be joined in the suit as a defendant and urged the court to take his application to that effect before entertaining any other application in the suit

    Adegoruwa said relief 3 of their application is for stay of further proceeding for the court to determine whether or not they will be a party in the suit.

    He added that the process had been served on the claimant on Thursday.

    He proceeded to seek to withdraw an earlier filed process dated Monday and sought to replace it with the one served on Thursday.

    Igwe in response objected to Adegoruwa’s application, stating that he was in receipt of the application he filed on Monday, that was served on them on Thursday by 5pm.

    He also argued that it was the same application Adegoruwa was applying to withdraw.

    He added that he had not received any process dated Thursday as claimed by Adegoruwa.

    Adegoruwa in response stated that there was proof of service of said application on the Attorney-general of the Federation on Thursday.

    Falana said he was not objecting to Adegoruwa’s application seeking to be joined as a party in the suit and for the suit to be consolidated with the other one filed by SERAP as a claimant.

    The court after listening to the submissions of counsel ruled that the application was not ripe to be taken as it was served at the Attorney- general’s office on Thursday.

    The court in addition stated that the application for interlocutory injunction will be taken first on Sept. 19 by 11am.

    The judge therefore adjourned the matter until Sept.19, for hearing .

    Newsmen reports that the Minister of Labour and Employment on behalf of the Federal Government had filed the matter before the court by way of referral to resolve the issue of the ongoing strike by ASUU.

  • “Pull out of ASUU strike”- Parents beg varsity

    “Pull out of ASUU strike”- Parents beg varsity

    A group under the aegis, the Parents/Stakeholders Forum, PSF, of the Benue State University Makurdi, has appealed to its Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, members to pull out of the national body for them to catch up with accumulated academic calendar years.

     

    This appeal is contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Tser Vanger, on Saturday in Makurdi.

     

    It quoted the PSF’s chairperson, Mrs Keziah Agundo, who expressed concern about the unutilised academic calendar months, as saying that the “pull out” would enable them catch up with accumulated workload.

     

    She said the 2020, 2021 undergraduate programmes had yet to be matriculated while the 2022 Unified Matriculation Tertiary Examinations (UMTE) admissions were ongoing.

     

    According to the statement, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Joseph Iorapuu, called for the resumption of academic activities in the school.

     

    The statement also indicated that the meeting was attended by top management of the university, including the BSU branch chairman of ASUU, Dr Victor Tarnongo, who promised to present the demands of PSF to the appropriate authorities.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the National Industrial Court of Nigeria adjourned to September the 16th, 2022 the suit filed by the Federal Government against ASUU over the industrial action embarked upon by the union about seven months ago.

     

    The Federal Government approached the court sitting in Abuja, requesting an order for ASUU to resume it continues to engage the union to address their dispute.

     

    A statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, indicated that the matter was referred to the registrar of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria by the Minister, Chris Ngige on Thursday 8 September.

     

    At Monday’s proceedings, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) sought to join the suit as an interested party.

     

    SERAP’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegnoruwa (SAN) said his client had filed a similar suit to compel the Federal Government to honour its 2009 agreement with the striking lecturers.

     

    He said SERAP’s request to join in the matter is based on the need to forestall the duplicity of outcomes concerning the industrial dispute.

     

    However, counsel to the Federal Government, Tijjani Gazali (SAN) opposes SERAP’s application to consolidate the suits.

     

    He told the judge that SERAP’s application was premature as the case was billed for mention on Monday. Counsel to ASUU, Femi Falana, however, argued that he was aware of the efforts by lawyers to file court papers in the suit on Monday.

     

    The judge ruled that the suit is not ripe for consolidation by SERAP. The judge said he was only presiding over the matter as a vacation judge and that the case would be assigned to another judge for adjudication.

     

    He ordered the parties in the suit to file and exchange court documents as he adjourned the matter to Friday, 16 September 2022.

     

    Speaking to journalists outside the court, counsel to ASUU, Falana, berated the Federal Government for going to the court.

     

    He said the Federal Government should stop trying to blackmail ASUU, maintaining that university lecturers have not stopped working.

     

    On his part, the counsel to the Federal Government, Tijanni Gazali, said ASUU cannot dictate to the Federal Government what platform its members are to be paid.

     

    He said the agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU has been substantially implemented and that details of their agreement will form part of the papers they will be filing before the court.

  • ASUU Strike: Adamu advises Nigerian students to study in other African nations

    ASUU Strike: Adamu advises Nigerian students to study in other African nations

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has said there is nothing wrong for Nigerian students to seek university education in other African nations and elsewhere, following the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

     

    According to the minister, it is not wrong if Nigerian students go to school in other African nations and not necessarily in Nigeria.

     

    Adamu made this statement in an interview on Channels TV on Wednesday, about the ministry’s plans to prevent students from leaving Nigerian institutions and opting for foreign universities.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com gathered that about 75, 000 Nigerians are currently running undergraduate courses in Ghana, Benin Republic and Egypt.

     

    But in reaction to the statistics, the minister said it is not a new development.

     

    “It is not a bad reputation in the sense that people going out to study is not a bad thing. The only thing you have to say is that our universities should try to attract students so that instead of money going out, money will come in,” he said.

     

    He also dismissed claims that Nigeria’s educational system is the reason parents are sending their children to study in other African universities, saying the internationalization of schools means people can study anywhere.

     

    “So, going out to study can never be a problem to anybody,” he said.

     

    Speaking on the persistent strike embarked upon by ASUU, Adamu explained that the Federal Government has made an offer to the university teachers.

     

    He disclosed that the government proposed a one-time package for the striking lecturers, which he said would not be paid in installments.

     

    “The agreement we reached or the position that I offered of government that I offered to is something government can pay if they say they will agree,” the education minister added.

     

    Recall that since ASUU’s first strike in 1988, when it protested against the extremities of the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, which led to the banning of the group on August 7, 1988, ASUU strikes in Nigeria have been recurring decimal over the years that they have come to be recognized as a yearly event, a time when academic activities stall and public universities go on forced break.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that while ASUU embarked on strike 16 times since 1999, it continually blamed its decision on the failure of the government to meet its demands.

  • ASUU Strike: FG finally gives up

    ASUU Strike: FG finally gives up

    The Federal Government has finally given up on the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, saying “we have done the best that we can”.

     

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this to reporters at an ongoing meeting with Pro-Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities at the National Universities Commission (NUC) Abuja.

     

    The meeting, at a point, went into a closed-door session.

    In the spirit of sincerity, the Government made it clear that it would not break the law

    Adamu said: “In all, we have been doing, our guide has been the directive of Mr President Muhammadu Buhari, namely, that while the unions should be persuaded to return to work, Government should not repeat the past mistakes of accepting to sign an agreement it will be unable to implement. Government should not, in the guise of resolving current challenges, sow seeds for future disruptions.

     

    “We have done the best that we can in the circumstance. After Inter-ministerial consultations and rounds of hard negotiations with all government agencies, we interacted with the Unions.

     

    “I personally, gave it all it required to resolve the current challenges. I met the Unions anywhere and everywhere possible with facts, with figures, and with absolute sincerity.

     

    “For example, I directly met with ASUU leadership in my house, in my office and at the ASUU Secretariat on several different occasions, in addition to other formal engagements going on.

     

    “To be frank with all the unions, especially with ASUU, one major issue over which Government and the Unions could not reach amicable agreement was the issue of the law on “No work, No pay”.

     

    “In the spirit of sincerity, the Government made it clear that it would not break the law. And on this, I must, openly and once again, thank all the Unions which made the sacrifice of understanding the position of Government on the matter.”

     

    According to ASUU, the strike was a hard decision it was forced to take to prevent the destruction of public universities and the system.

  • BREAKING: ASUU strike to finally end

    BREAKING: ASUU strike to finally end

    The lingering faceoff between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may be reaching its final face with Tuesday’s meeting.

    A senior Professor who is a top member of the ongoing negotiation excessively informed TheNewsGuru that government ‘seem to be waking up to appreciate the enormity of challenges it faces on the matter.’

    He said, “The body language of the minister and other government functionaries at the meeting seem different. It is unlike the puff and huff of old and the grandstanding. I think we may be reaching the end.

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    “My hope is, beyond the language, that none of the two parties between ASUU and government derails. I am positive – in fact, optimistic that something tangible would come out of this meeting,” the Professor told our correspondent.

    The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, alongside stakeholders had entered into a special closed-door session over the lingering strike.

    Those attending the meeting include the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abubakar Rasheed; registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede; Emeritus Professors Peter Okebukola and Nimi-Briggs; alongside all vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors of federal universities.

    The minister had excused members of the media to excuse the stakeholders who attended the meeting and lamented the failure of ASUU to call off its strike despite interventions by the government.

    ASUU had embarked on a strike on Monday, February 14,2022 following what the union tagged as failure of the government to meet lingering demands.

  • ASUU strike: Ex-President Jonathan narrates personal experience

    ASUU strike: Ex-President Jonathan narrates personal experience

    Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has stated how his administration resolved a four-month old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in one day.

    He said this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 70th birthday celebration of Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, organised by The Kukah Centre.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Jonathan revealed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 70th birthday celebration of Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, organised by The Kukah Centre.

    The university lecturers have been on strike since February this over over irreconcilable difference with the Federal Government.

    The society we are managing is complex, now we are talking about ASUU strike, during my time too, ASUU had four months of strike, different committees were meeting and meeting and nothing was working. I said how can our children stay out of school for four months? So I had to call a meeting of all the leadership of ASUU.

  • Apologize to state universities over ‘quack’ comment – NANS tells Osodeke

    Apologize to state universities over ‘quack’ comment – NANS tells Osodeke

    The leadership of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has called on the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ( ASUU) Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, to tender an apology over uncomplimentary statements he made on national TV calling state universities quacks.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Osodeke while granting interview on Arise TV morning show referred to state universities as quacks, saying they have never been members of ASUU.

    Asked to comment on the pulling out of ASUU strike by some state universities,  Osodeke downplayed the importance of state universities.

    He said “Talk about important universities not those quacks. They’re not part of our strike.”

    Meanwhile, the president of the apex students’ body,  (NANS) Sunday Ashefon,  said ASUU president should apologize for the statement.

    He said, “That is an unguided statement. Imagine an erudite professor calling universities where his colleagues, who are also professors, work quack universities! This is sad, we condemned this in totality and we demand an apology from him.”

    Ashefon added that  state universities wouldn’t get any  benefit from the demands of ASUU but wasting their efforts and students time joining the strike.

    Meanwhile, the Kwara State University on Friday condemned Osodeke for referring to some state universities currently running their academic calendar despite the ongoing strike of the union as “quacks and irrelevant”.

    It said such  statement was undeserving of an academic don, saying the union’s president should not have denigrated the institutions of learning because of their refusal to join the ongoing strike action by the union.

    He added that Osodeke should get educated despite being a professor.

    In a statement on Saturday by its Director of University Relations, Dr. Saeedat Aliyu, the institution explained that such statement was uncalled for and would be considered as reckless, adding that it could also be translated to bullying of the higher institutions.

    Similarly, , Kwara state University, Malete, (KWASU) has asked Osodeke to retract the statement, saying it’s highly unbecoming of a Professor and ASUU president.

    The management of the institution described the statement as derogatory and capable of causing division among the university communities.

     

  • ASUU Strike: NAPTAN proposes N10k per session by each parent to boost funding of universities

    ASUU Strike: NAPTAN proposes N10k per session by each parent to boost funding of universities

    Following the protracted strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, has urged the payment of N10, 000 per session by each parent, to assist government in making more funds available for universities.

     

    NAPTAN’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Ademola Ekundayo, disclosed this during an interview on Tuesday.

     

    Ekundayo, who lamented continued closure of universities in the country, said parents were at the receiving ends of the disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU.

     

    He said, “We have submitted a letter to the Office of the Education Minister, seeking for audience where we hope to discuss a proposal.

     

    “We are proposing a sum of N10, 000 per parent every session that will be directly paid to the universities. That will be our own contribution apart from other statutory payments in making more funds available to the universities.

     

    “It can be called parent support levy for universities. We are at the receiving end of the industrial action. We plead with the ASUU and Federal Government to immediately resolve their differences.”

     

    A philanthropist and founder of Opeyemi David Falegan Foundation, Opeyemi Falegan, has called on the past presidents and military rulers to intervene in the lingering ASUU strike.

     

    He also called on the Federal Government and the striking lecturers to consider making necessary sacrifices to end the strike.

     

    The United Kingdom-based Social Democratic Party chieftain made the appeal in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday titled, “Strike: Nigerian tertiary education system on the verge of total collapse if ASUU strike continues, Falegan warns.”

     

    “The continued industrial action by ASUU may lead to total collapse of tertiary education in Nigeria if the Federal Government and ASUU continue to be flexing muscles. They should sheath their sword in the best interest of hapless Nigerian students and their parents,” Falegan said.

     

    He urged former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and as well past military leaders, including Yakubu Gowon and Abdusalam Abubakar, among others to intervene with a view to making the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), see reason to ensure reopening of the universities.

     

    “We call on well-meaning Nigerians, especially former Heads of State and Presidents to prevail on the current Nigerian leaders to accede to the demands of ASUU to allow the lecturers and students return to the classrooms,” he said.

     

    Meanwhile, the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma branch of ASUU has called for total and indefinite strike by union members nationwide if the Federal Government continues to ignore its national headquarters’ demands.

     

    The union took the decision at its congress was held at the institution’s take-off campus in Dutsin-ma on Monday.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a copy of the resolutions arrived at during the congress, signed by the branch’s Chairperson, Jibrin Shagari; and Secretary, Mzungu Ignatius was made available to journalists.