By Peace Sam, The Sight News
ABUJA—The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has on Thursday night, suspended its nationwide strike which began in November 2018.
This is just as it also announced resumption of academic activities from Friday, February 8, 2019, with a threat to resume the strike if government does not keep to the agreements, contained in the newly signed Memorandum of Action.
ASUU’s decision to suspend the strike, was reached after a meeting with the government on Thursday, from which an agreement was reached and a deal was signed.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting with the Federal Government, ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, noted that the strike which started on November 4, 2018 was situated in the context of accumulated records of indifference and lackadaisical attitude of government to negotiated agreements with the union.
He stated also, that based on the initial proposals from government, the union made extensive consultations through its various organs, adding that the final level of consultation was the meeting of the National Executive Council ( NEC) which took place on the 6th and 7th February 2019.
According to him, “NEC resolved that the current strike action by the union should be suspended conditionally with effect from 12.01 am on Friday 8th February 2019.
“However, should government fail to fulfil its part of the agreement as reflected in the 2019 memorandum of Action, ASUU shall resume its suspended strike action as union deems necessary”.
ASUU, also condemned in the strongest terms Vice- Chancellors, who have made effort to undermine and in some cases attempted to break the public struggles for the revitalization of public universities in Nigeria.
“ASUU will not shy away from taking headlong those vice Chancellors who are reputed for acts of impunity, nepotism and other forms of conduct which are antithetic to university culture and progressive development of the universities”, he added.
