Unijos ASUU ready to end strike – Chairman

Unijos ASUU ready to end strike –
Chairman
on november 12, 2013 at 6:16 pm in news
Jos – The University of Jos chapter of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who
voted against ending the four-months-old strike,
says it will resume classes if directed by the
national body.
“Yes, the local ASUU chapter voted 159 to 88
against ending the strike at its congress on Monday,
but we shall abide by any decision taken by the
national body on Wednesday,’’ its Chairman, Dr.
David Jangdam, said in Jos on Tuesday.
ASUU’s central body is expected to meet in Kano
on Wednesday to take a final decision on whether or
not to end the strike after collating resolutions from
various local branches who considered the offer by
President Goodluck Jonathan during their
congresses on Monday.
Jonathan had made the offers toward ending the
strike during a meeting with the striking lecturers
who are seeking better funding for the universities
and improved welfare packages for the teaching
staff.
Jangdam said in Jos that the decision of the
national body was final and binding on all local
chapters.
“Even the strike was not supported by all the
universities. Many local chapters of ASUU opposed
it, but majority wanted it and we embarked on it,’’
he said.
He explained that ASUU’s decisions were usually
from bottom-to-top with representatives at
meetings having to revert to the local branches
before any decision would be taken.
Jangdam, however, rejected suggestions that the
local branch’s position was influenced by the
internal disagreement with management over the
conduct of the post-UTME examinations during the
strike.
ASUU had condemned that action, and declared that
the examinations were “illegal, wasteful and of no
effect’’.
“At the congress meeting yesterday, we made it
clear that no local issue will be discussed.
“Our focus was solely on the issues related to the
national strike. Other local disagreements shall be
tackled locally and therefore had no effect on our
stance yesterday,’’ he said.
He said that the lecturers voted against ending the
strike because they did not trust the federal
government to fulfill its promises and therefore
wanted something concrete to be seen on ground
before resuming classes.
Jangdam also rejected suggestions that the
lecturers had not been fair to university education in
the country.
“I think the questions should be if the system is fair
to the educational sector; Nigerians should ask the
leaders why the educational sector is usually the
least in their priorities,’’ he said.
He said that it was wrong for Nigerians to blame the
lecturers for the bad situation in the universities,
saying that the search light should rather be on
those in authority that decided what should go to the
ivory towers at budget planning sessions.
“Sometimes, I find the situation a bit perplexing; I
wonder why should Nigerians complain about poor
quality of graduates and heap the blame on the
universities and the lecturers even when they know
that not much attention is paid to the educational
sector?,’’ he asked. (NAN)