UniAbuja ASUU faction dissociates self from strike

Gowon, Governing Council, First Class, UniAbuja

A faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has dissociated itself from the indefinite strike declared by the union.

The faction known as ‘Anti-Strike ASUU Members’ made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

UniAbuja ASUU branch had, in the early hours of Thursday, declared an indefinite strike to draw attention to developments bordering the union.

The chairman of the branch, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, said the union resolved to embark on an indefinite strike with immediate effect.

Ugoh said the strike became necessary over the university’s refusal to conduct elections for the office of the Deans of Faculties and Provost College of Health Sciences.

The union also accused the university management of carrying out the promotion of some staff without following due process.

Other reasons for the strike, according to ASUU include an advertorial of the vacancy of the post of Vice-Chancellor without following due process, among others.

However, a faction of the union said it would not join the industrial action.

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The Dean of Students Affairs and former Convener of ASUU National Political Committee, Dr Abubakar Kari, said the strike was to satisfy personal interest and not the larger interest of ASUU members and the university.

Kari said: “Members of ASUU here standing for several other members with like minds but unavoidably absent, rise to reassure students, parents and members of the public that we will protect the sanctity of the university’s robust academic calendar.

“We will continue to work for the continuous opening of the university operations.

“We vehemently demand that ASUU must work for ASUU and not a hidden cabal out to take the University of Abuja back to the inglorious yesteryears.

“A decision to go on an indefinite strike without, at any point, seeking members of ASUU’s vote for, or against is absolutely not the ASUU procedure for calling a strike.

“So, the so-called strike remains unrepresentative of the larger members of ASUU and cannot stand.”

Speaking on the alleged advertorial for the about-to-be vacant position of the Vice-Chancellor, Kari said, so far, five federal universities had advertised for the position of VCs.

He added: “The question begging the mind of everyone, staff, and the public is why would ASUU, University of Abuja, alone proceed on indefinite strike while University of Maiduguri, Usman Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, ATBU Bauchi, and others sustain the sanctity of stable academic calendar on their campuses?

“We say no to strike over issues that are not peculiar to the University of Abuja.”

The Star