Return to classroom, FG begs ASUU

By FAVOUR NNABUGWU & JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU
ABUJA—The Federal Government, yesterday, begged the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU, to return toclassrooms, as the union
insisted that the strike would continue unless agreements between it
and government were implemented.
The strike which began last week, entered its second week yesterday,
even as the union and Education Ministry officials appear before the
National Assembly today.
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqquayat Rufa'i, who made the
appeal, said the union should call off its strike in the interest of
students.
Rufa'i said: "We are going to meet with ASUU and all those that are
concerned at the Senate today. We are going to appear before the
Senate andthe House Committee on Education and we are pleading with
ASUU to go back to classroom and let our children go back to school."
Speaking to Vanguard, ASUU President, Dr Isa Nasir Fagge Isa, however,
said the strike would continue until the Federal Government faithfully
implemented agreement in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU reached
between both parties.
Strike to contine unless…
He said: "On whether the strike will continue or be called off is
dependent on government's decision. If the government does what is
right, I assure you that we will call off the strike immediately, we
will look at what government has and we will review the situation.
"We don't have to inform anybody thatwe are taking an action when it
becomes clear to us that what we are doing cannot make any headway. We
looked at all the options available before embarking on the strike.
"I must remind you that a strike is a fundamental right of a worker,
if it becomes clear to a worker that the dialogue with his employer is
becoming the dialogue of the deaf anddump, the worker has the right to
withdraw his services, that is a fundamental right, it is enshrined in
the ILO conventions and it is part of theright of Nigerian citizens.
"We have realised that each time we reached an agreement with the
government, government finds it difficult to implement the provisions
of the agreement and that is the reason our members advised that we
just go back to the trenches.
"You should ask the government, out of the nine provisions of the
Memorandum of Understanding we had how many have been implemented?
"Out of the provisions, government had been able to implement two
which is the "review of the retirement age of academics on the
professional cadre from 65 to 70 years and the reinstatement of the
governing council of universities".
"It will be recalled that government without notice dissolved the
governing board of universities, and we took it up that, the
government action will not favour the university system."Of all the
problems identified in the Need Assessment report, how many have been
implemented? Our universities are still the way they are, we don't
want to continue deceiving ourselves. We expect that dialogue should
produce results, we have been dialoguing for one and half years and we
are tired of doing that, we want actions", he insisted.
"What we need to do is to ensure that we implement the recommendations
of that report, but sadly, we have had an agreement with the
government in 2009 on four issues which include: Funding, University
autonomy and Academic freedom and then conditionsof service and other
matters but four years after, the provisions of the agreement have not
been implemented.
….ASUP wants FG, N-Assembly to reviewPoly Act
By PETER OKUTU & OKONKWO EZE
ABAKALIKI — THE Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, chapter of
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, yesterday, called on both
the Federal Government and National Assembly to review the Act
establishing federal polytechnics as a way of proffering solution to
the over three months strike embarked upon by polytechnics in the
country.
Chairman of ASUP, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Comrade
Edmund Onyeneho, who made the call at a briefing in Afikpo, in
solidarity withASUP, blamed the current impasse on Federal
Government's insensitivity to the plight of polytechnic lecturers and
students.
He said his chapter was fully committed to the struggle by the
National body of ASUP to liberate the polytechnic system from the
current neglect which had culminated in the disparity and
discrimination of products of the polytechnic system by the society
He said: "ASUP demands the speedy review of the Federal Polytechnics
Act. The National Assembly should do morethan lip service in this
regard. There is now an urgent need to review this Act and reposition
polytechnics to effectively fulfil the goals of technological growth
and development in Nigeria.
For avoidance of doubt, no demand of ASUP in the present situation is
selfish. ASUP is only asking for government's attention to the
debilitating state of polytechnics and also to treat the products of
the system not as second rate graduates.
"In other words, ASUP is asking government to do the right things by
relating to the products of the polytechnic system on the basis of
their quality and not the environment that produced them.
"It is worrisome that the Polytechnics have no Commission like the
Universities and Colleges of Education in Nigeria. More insulting in
this regardis that even Nomadic Education in Nigeria has a Commission.
"The Government should stop this brazen discrimination by urgently
establishing a Commission for polytechnics and monothecnics in Nigeria
"Most polytechnics in Nigeria today, more especially state-owned
polytechnics have unqualified and incompetent Rectors"
Meanwhile, members of ASUP in the Polytechnic were seen around the
institution and within Afikpo town carrying placards with inscriptions
such as "We want a revised scheme of service for Polytechnics" Release
of White paper on visitation" "Polytechnic Act… overdue" "NBTE
rejected yes! to NPC" in support of the ongoing strike embarked upon
by the union.