ASUU strike: Ajasin varsity VC, DVC return to lecture rooms •UNILAG’s factional ASUU resumes today

 Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, have commended the leadership of the institution for exhibiting exemplary leadership even as the Vice Chancellor, Professor Femi Mimiko and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Rotimi Ajayi, returned to lecture rooms apparently to make up for a shortfall in the number of academic staff that have resumed work.

Professor Mimiko, last week, was said to have taken POS 204 (International Relations), while Professor Ajayi taught PHY 102 (General Physics). It was reported they would take the courses throughout the second semester.

Some of the students were said to have considered themselves privileged to have been taught by the Vice Chancellor and described the gesture as a symbol of dedication and humility.

In his remark after the lecture, Professor Mimiko was quoted to have said that “I have always looked forward to meeting my students again, having been off class for four years running now. I thank my Head of Department for allocating the course to me to teach this semester and I will be dutifully present to teach the course throughout the semester by the grace of God.”

He also expressed satisfaction at the effectiveness of the resumption.

Also, as the Federal Government’s deadline for the Academic Staff Union of  Universities (ASUU) ends today, some lecturers of University of Lagos, have agreed to resume work today, five months after the strike.

One of the lecturers, Dr Micheal Ogbeide, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, said some of them have decided to resume against the union’s position. He said, “I, alongside other lecturers, who are ready to resume work will go back to work as directed by the government, who owns the school.”

Nigerian Tribune, gathered that the lecturers agreed to resume work, whether ASUU called off the strike or not, while some of them agreed out of fear of losing their jobs as threatened by government and/or exhaustion from the longevity of the five month-old-strike.

A law student at the Lagos State University (LASU), who pleaded anonymity, stated that as far as he knew, no student of the school had been prompted to resume school today.

In the light of this, activities on the UNILAG and the Lagos State University (LASU)campuses, have shown no indications for resumption, as, in various interviews with the Nigerian Tribune, students were yet to be alerted by the school authorities nor their lecturers to resume school today.

ASUU reiterated its stand not to call off the strike, on the basis that the union has not been alerted to the actual payment of the N200 billion government claimed to have paid into an account at the CBN for the union.

The refusal of government to sign a letter, that none of its members would be victimised when the union eventually ends the strike, as well as a payment of the five-months salary government owed the lecturers, as stated by the chairman, ASUU Unilag, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, last week.

Also, in line with the decision of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan, which was predicated on the directives of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors (CPC) of Federal Universities and the National Universities Commission, the institution will re-open on January 4, 2014 for full academic and allied activities. Read more