As the December 4 deadline given by the federal government for all striking university lecturers to return to work or risk being sacked inches closer, more Nigerian universities have continued to announce a resumption date despite ASUU’s insistence on the continuation of the strike.
The University of Jos yesterday directed its lecturers to resume work immediately.
This was contained in a statement made available to Nigerian Pilot yesterday and signed by its registrar, Jilli Dandam.
The statement reads in part: “Following the federal government’s order on resumption of academic activities in all federal institutions, the academic staff , the pro-chancellor and chairman of council on behalf of the governing council have directed as follows:
“All academic staff of the University of Jos should return to their various departments, units and commence work immediately, and every head of department should publish lecture time table for all academic programmes immediately.”
Also, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, have resumed yesterday, Monday, December 2, two days ahead of the December 4 deadline given by the federal government.
The registrar of UNN, Mr. Anthony Okonta made the announcement in a statement yesterday, stressing that “normal academic activities would resume immediately.”
The statement directed students who had outstanding examinations for the 2012/2013 session to report to their respective faculties and departments in Nsukka and Enugu campuses.
In like manner, the registrar, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Mr. Chris Igbokwe advised students, academic and non-academic staff to report immediately, and that the second semester examination would commence on Monday, December 9.
The University of Abuja had last week announced a December 1 resumption date, with academic activities expected to commence on December 6.
Meanwhile, ASUU at the weekend embarked on mass mobilisation of members not to comply with the federal government’s December 4 ultimatum to resume lectures.
Members of the union were directed not to sign any register that may be opened by their vice chancellors.
The union began using the short message service, sms, and other social media platforms to reach out and to mobilise members not to succumb to federal government’s threat.
Some of the messages sent were: “Dear members, FG’s decision to threaten us with sack confirms our suspicion that FG may not be honest and cannot be trusted. Don’t succumb (sic) to this empty threat. The strike continues.”
Meanwhile, ASUU has also insisted that the federal government must sign an agreement which must be witnessed by some key principal national figures before it returns to classes.
The union’s president, Comrade Nasir Fagge who addressed a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said it was insisting on the demand to avoid a repeat of the 2009 agreement which did not work.
He stated that this time around, the signed resolution must be witnessed in writing, preferably by the Attorney of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mr Bello Adoke, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and a representative of the union.
According to the resolution, a total of N1.3 trillion was to be released for the development of university education between 2013 and 2018 with N200 billion for 2013, N220 billion for 2014, N220 billion for 2015, N220 billion for 2016, N220 billion for 2017 and N220 billion for 2018.