ASUU to Parents: Keep Your Children at Home, Strike is Still On

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has warned parents
not to endanger the lives of their wards and children by sending them
to their university campuses, as directed by the Federal Government.
“Don’t risk the lives of your children and wards. Keep them at
home because ASUU will not teach. Soldiers and the police
deployed by the Federal Government will not teach. Wike can
come and teach in the universities. It is a huge joke to sack
lecturers. Our strike must not be in vain. Our students must see
the results."
ASUU, which also directed all its members not to sign attendance
registers in their institutions, lashed out at the Federal Government
for lack of consistency in its statements on the ongoing strike.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had at a
news conference in Abuja on Thursday, threatened that any ASUU
member that failed to resume on or before December 4th would be
sacked.
Wike also directed vice-chancellors to advertise vacancies (internal
and external) in their institutions. He told the vice-chancellors to
open attendance registers for lecturers that resumed in their
universities.
The Government then directed the Inspector-General of Police,
Mohammed Abubakar, to deploy policemen in all the federal
universities.
But the Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Segun
Ajiboye, said parents should keep their children and wards at home as
no academic activity would resume until the strike is properly called
off.
Ajiboye added, “It is funny. We thought we are in a democracy. I
assure Nigerians that we know what the law says about the strike.
Our job is statue backed. We are not threatened. We do not trust the
government. The record of the government is clear. This government
is dishonouring agreements. Our members are resolved to pursue this
to a logical conclusion.
“If ASUU could withstand Babangida, this government cannot threaten
us. We have worked this road before, the only thing that will work is
peaceful resolution. It is sad that government wants to sack us
because we are asking for the resolutions. We are ready to be sacked
but government should learn from the University of Ilorin experience.
We are going to stay the course.”
ASUU President, Dr. Nassir Fagge, urged the lecturers to be resolute.
He said:
“Comrades, can you see the unfolding drama? Now Jonathan
says they didn’t give ultimatum. That the vice-chancellors did
and Wike became their trumpet. But NUC’s (National Universities
Commission) ultimatum is by the Federal Government to us to
resume or get sacked.
“Wike’s press address says ‘FG has directed’ not ‘VCs have
directed.’ Be calm, stay resolute. By God’s grace, we are on
course.”