Strike To End Next Year, UNILAG Insist It Must End This Week

A faction of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter on Monday alleged that the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is planning to end the on-going five-month strike mid-January next year.
Leader of the faction, Dr Adeyemi Daramola, a lecturer in the Department of English, Faculty of Arts accused the body of assuming oracular posture on the strike.

According to him, “The position of ASUU has not demonstrated original function of its rules which says “reports on agreement from the union universities’ branches should be collated and announced”.

“ASUU-NEC has assumed an oracular posture by its very poor communication to members, government and the Nigerian society.

“The target of ASUU is to call off the strike by mid-January of 2014 which is no longer a rumour in the domain of its members. We have postponed other meetings of this pressure version of UNILAG

“If necessary, we shall take all legitimate steps to ensure that normalcy is restored to all the Nigerian universities as soon as possible, as the group would not accept the rumour of a resumption date fixed for January, 2014. About two universities’ academic calendar have been wasted on strike, including lecturers’ four months’ salaries lost.”

The faction, however, insisted that the closure of Nigerian universities by the lecturers must end this week.

Another leader of the anti-strike faction, Dr Michael Ogbeide of the History Department said that “the ASUU strike had become nonsense and must be stopped. A lot of our members also believe so but are afraid to speak out,” adding that the faction would keep pressurising its leadership until the strike is called off.

Meanwhile, there were reports on Monday that the UNILAG ASUU had decided to withdraw from the strike but this was debunked by some members of the union, though it was confirmed that there was a split among the members with some kicking against the institution's continued participation in the strike.

According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the congress actually turned out disorganised and divided, as some members, during the meeting began to protest, demanding UNILAG’s withdrawal from the strike. The meeting became rowdy and the two factions later held separate meetings, with both reportedly resolving to maintain their postures.

The main body insisted that the strike would be on until grey areas are sorted out.