ASUU STRIKE UPDATE: “ASUU plans to end strike next year” – UNILAG faction open up

According to a faction of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) in the University of Lagos (UNILAG),
the academic body plans to continue the ongoing strike
till next year.

The faction reportedly said yesterday that ASUU had no
plans to end the strike before January 2014. The
group, however went on to say that the plans of ASUU
must not succeed as the four-month-old industrial action
must be brought to an end this week.

The Tribune reports: Leader of the faction, Dr Adeyemi
Daramola, a lecturer in the Department of English,
Faculty of Arts accused the body of assuming oracular
posture on the strike.

According to him, "The position of ASUU has not
demonstrated original function of its rules which says
"reports on agreement from the union universities'
branches should be collated and announced".

"ASUU-NEC has assumed an oracular posture by its
very poor communication to members, government and
the Nigerian society. "The target of ASUU is to call off
the strike by mid-January of 2014 which is no longer a
rumour in the domain of its members.
We have postponed other meetings of this pressure
version of UNILAG.

ASUU to discuss issues and shall call a new one if
ASUU-NEC fails to suspend the strike before the end off
the week. "If necessary, we shall take all legitimate
steps to ensure that normalcy is restored to all the
Nigerian universities as soon as possible, as the group
would not accept the rumour of a resumption date fixed
for January, 2014. About two universities' academic
calendar have been wasted on strike, including
lecturers' four months salaries lost."

Meanwhile, the
Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike has
condemned the new conditions set out by the leadership
of ASUU as a yardstick to call off its over four month old
strike.

Wike, who spoke in Abuja on Monday added, that the
Union though indicated readiness to call off the over-
prolonged industrial action. He stressed that the Federal
Government and members of the National Assembly
would engage the union further on its decision.
According to him, "ASUU has given new conditions,
after they had an agreement with President Goodluck
Jonathan at the Villa.