Nwokolo, Abeokutain Featured
•‘Ultimatum now Monday’
The Federal Government shifted yesterday its ultimatum for the reopening of universities till Monday.
The deadline of its resume-or-be-sacked-directive to striking teachers would have been today.
Supervising Minister of Education Nyesom Wike, who gave the much criticised directive, announced the shift of date.
He said since the family of the late Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ex-President Prof. Festus Iyayi informed the ministry of funeral rites for weekend, the resumption date had to be shifted to enable the government participate in the ceremony.
Wike said: “The decision to shift the date of the compulsory resumption of federal universities for academic activities is now Monday, December 9. This decision has been taken as a result of the respect we have for the former ASUU President.”
He said the Federal Government took the decision to re-open the universities in the interest of Nigerians and not to engage in a showdown with ASUU.
Wike said Nigerians should appreciate that the pro-chancellorsand chairmen of the federal universities Governing Councils took the decision to re-open the schools, pointing out that the Federal Government’s directive was to the vice chancellors who are expected to comply with the decision of the pro-chancellors.
The Minister said the Federal Government had already opened a dedicated account for the revival of infrastructure in the universities.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, has signed the resolution that the Federal Government will commit N1.3trillion into the revival of infrastructure in the universities, he said, adding that the advertisement of internal and external vacancies is part of the process to address the shortage of manpower in the nation’s universities.
According to Wike, the Federal Government has implemented over 80per cent of the issues contained in the 2009 agreement, with only the payment of earned allowances and revitalisation of infrastructure pending.
“The Federal Government appreciates the need to revive infrastructure in our universities and other tertiary institutions, hence the government has put in place the process to effectively address the challenges identified by the NEEDS Assessment report voluntarily initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan,” the minister said.
National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okojie is displeased that ASUU members are yet to call off the strike.
He said the deadline was not a threat but a call to go back to work.
But ASUU restated its rejection of the ultimatum, issuing yesterday a 14-point guideline to its members on why they must sustain the strike.
It also said no external force was behind its action and spurned sack threats because, according to ASUU, such a measure is against the Labour Act and the International Labour Organisation’s Convention.
The union made its position known in Strike Bulletin No. 14, signed by ASUU National President Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge.
ASUU said: “Our union, as you know, derives its strength from members. Government fallacy of ‘external forces’ behind our union only betrays its desperation to distract our genuine cause. You know better!
“Do not believe in the falsehood being peddled by certain persons as regards some fictitious ratio of branches that voted for suspension of strike.
“ASUU operates strong internal democracy and is capable of taking critical decisions on matters of concern to the Union. Your Union will always do your bidding.
“Our struggle is on course; the threat of sack for failure to sign resumption of duty register is part of the oppression that failed in the past. It will fail again.”
The union came up with 14 guidelines signaling that it is prepared for a long drawn battle with the Federal Government.

Government should just grant all their requests once and for all and let this strike problem ends permanently.