The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is planning to end the ongoing five-month strike mid-January next year, a faction of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter alleged on Monday.
The faction, however, insisted that the closure of Nigerian universities by the lecturers must end this week.

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
ASUU to discuss issues and shall call a new one if ASUU-NEC fails to suspend the strike before the end off the week.
“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.”

Controversies have continued to trail the participation of UNILAG’s chapter of the union, with the new faction allegedly creating uproar at the congress held in the institution yesterday.
Another leader of the anti-strike faction, Dr Michael Ogbeide of the History Department told the Nigerian Tribune on phone 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.”

He assured that the faction would keep pressurising the leadership until the strike is called off.
When asked the next line of action if UNILAG ASUU leadership did not accede to the faction’s request, he said “as an historian, in war, you don’t divulge your strategy before hand.”
Early on Monday morning, there were rumours 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 Daramola’s faction reportedly 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.
It was learnt that after the meeting became rowdy, 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.
Source:
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

University teachers are seeking audience with President Goodluck Jonathan.
They delivered yesterday a letter containing the request to the Supervising Minister for Education, Chief. Nyesom Wike.
Also, top leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), led by National President, Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge, converged yesterday on Abuja for the last stage of discussions with the Federal Government.
The leaders were awaiting the President’s invitation on the three conditions they tabled for the almost five -month strike to be called off.
The conditions are:
• commitment from the President that any review or reconsideration or renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement will not substantially affect the Agreement which is the cause of the ongoing strike;
• immediate payment of all outstanding salary arrears and allowances of varsity teachers without victimisation; and
•a written commitment from the President that the Federal Government will commit N225billion annually to the funding of universities for the next four years.
ASUU’s letter was delivered to the Minister through its Liaison Officer in Abuja.
But the minister has described the demand as outrageous.
Wike said: “I will have to see Mr. President to see how the government can go about this development, which is not favourable. It is outrageous. ASUU is now making fresh demands and this will definitely need further discussion.”
In the letter, the union demanded that it would want the last tranche of the negotiation with the Federal Government to be witnessed by President of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) Abduwaheed Omar and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).
A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said ASUU leaders were determined to see that any agreement with the Federal Government has legal binding.
The source said: “ASUU leaders are not ready to take anything for granted this time around; every clause in whatever is agreed upon will have legal effect on the two parties.
“This is why ASUU leaders have asked for the NLC President and the AGF to be present. They do not want a situation where the government will deny such agreement in the near future.
“It was amazing how the government had been faulting the 2009 Agreement, which it was part of. This shows that ASUU must be extremely careful.”
There were indications also that the Federal Government was also firming up its position on the conditions set by ASUU.
A Presidency source said: “The government is also weighing options on the demands of ASUU especially the aspects relating to financial commitment.
“You know, what the government spends has to depend on what it earns. If there is a binding financial commitment and there is global recession in the oil industry, will government now look for money at all cost?
“This is one grey area of the pending agreement on which the two parties must reach a compromise.”
A source close to ASUU however said varsity students may stay at home till next year when the government will be ready to meet the union’s demand.
The source said the government’s plan is to deceive ASUU into calling off the strike and still not implement the 2009 agreement.
“ASUU will not chicken out of its fight. The death of Iyayi has further deepened our resolve to ensure that government implements the 2009 agreement. This fight is for the university community and not for ASUU. Many people are insinuating that we are fighting for the 2009 to be implemented to favour ASUU. They can say whatever they like that will not deter us.
”Government knows what to do. But people in the same government are mismanaging public funds which can be used to implement the said FG/ASUU agreement. Many of us at the ASUU session at Mambayya House in Kano resolved that government must meet the 2009 agreement.”
Wike yesterday condemned new conditions which the union insists must be met before a truce could be achieved.
Wike spoke during his meeting with Commissioners of Education in Abuja.
He confirmed that ASUU had given new conditions to call off the strike.
The Minister at the meeting with the commissioners assured them of the readiness of the Federal Government to support state governments in the development of education.
SOURCE: The Nation

VARSITY teachers have agreed to suspend their five months old strike, The Nation learnt yesterday.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given three conditions to be tabled before President Goodluck Jonathan today. If the terms are acceptable to the Federal Government, the union will call off the strike.
The ASUU leadership has banned its local chapters and zonal chairmen from talking to the media until after the session with the President.
ASUU President Dr. Nasir Issa Fagge and other leaders of the union were being expected in Abuja last night.
According to a source, who was part of the ASUU session at Mambayya House in Kano, the conditions are: •commitment from the President that any review or reconsideration or renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement will not substantially affect the pact which is the cause of the ongoing strike;
•immediate payment of all outstanding salary arrears and allowances of varsity teachers without victimization; and
•a written commitment from the President that the Federal Government will commit N225billion annually to the funding of universities for the next four years.
There is a fourth condition, which is said to be “personal” to ASUU, bordering on the need to be wary of gradual loss of public sympathy.
The union leaders were said to have recognised public goodwill for the strike and the need to avert any action that could erode such confidence.
The source said: “Our leaders are meeting with the President on Monday to table these conditions. Once the President accepts these three terms, the strike will be called off.
“In principle, members voted about 60-40 per cent to call off the strike, but they added a caveat – that ASUU leaders should extract a commitment (signed and sealed) from the President.
The union is said to have insisted on the three conditions because during talks with the Federal Government, it was apparent that the government wanted a renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement.
“If ASUU had accepted to renegotiate the entire Agreement , it means there will be no basis for the ongoing strike. The worst that can happen is either having the abridged version of the 2009 Agreement or a phased implementation of the document,” the source added.
The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State became at the weekend the third institution to break ranks with the striking union.
It asked its students to return to the campus today. Lecture are to start on December 2, according to the Registrar, Mr. Bamidele Olotu.
Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), Enugu, and the Ibrahim Badamosi University, Lapai, in Niger State had earlier directed the reopening of the schools.
The registrar directed students to begin their registration on the school portal immediately.
AAUA Student Union President Julius Adeniyi welcomed the resumption plan and assured his fellow students of a hitch-free semester.
He said: “We are dying and wasting away our time at home; and I am backing my Vice Chancellor on the resumption date. We are coming in and nothing will happen.”
SOURCE: The Nation

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, weekend, appealed to the striking university lecturers to call off the strike  and resume teaching.

She said this after she and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi bagged doctorate honorary doctorate degrees at a private university, OduduwaUniversity, Ipetumodu in OsunState.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, according to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adeleke Ogunwale, nominated the two eminent Nigerians for the award as part of activities marking the maiden convocation of the institution which produced 18 first class graduates out of 166 that graduated.

Dr. Iweala was awarded honorary Doctor of Science in Accounting, her counterpart was honoured with Doctor of Science in Economics.

The ceremony attracted  important dignitaries like the Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade who was represented by his wife, Chief Mojisola Sijuwade; the Pro Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Adegoke Adedoyin, among others.

She said: “We are indeed saddened by the death of Professor Iyayi.  I appeal to ASUU to go back to school in the interest of students, their parents, because the Federal Government has acceded to their requests.”

The Minister said this just as she clarified that the shortfall in the federal allocation to state governments in the federation did not have any political colouration as being insinuated in some quarters.

According to her: “There is no politics in it. Every state goes to Federal Allocation Committee meeting monthly; they see the account and know that oil production is down and the receipts are down.

“They know Customs’ revenues are down, yet we distribute whatever that is to be distributed. From that, we have been able to manage this country and workers have been able to collect their salaries.

On the need for the revitalisation of tertiary education, she said: “Our tertiary institutions face serious challenges which require urgent attention. President Jonathan  injects N220billion a year on top of regular resources to address challenges in tertiary education.”

She gave N50,000 prize each year for the best student in Accounting and Economics as a personal contribution to the development of the institution.

In his own short response, Mallam Sanusi said though, the economy was becoming stable, the effects of the growth should be seen in the life of a common man on the street”.

The Vice chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adeleke Ogunwale, commended the Ooni of Ife for giving hundreds of acres for the establishment of the institution which came to being in2009.

He hinted that the institution graduated 166 students with18 first class, 63 second upper division and 82 lower class. Out of the 18 first class, 10 of them are ladies. The honorees have impacted positively on people. Patience Jonathan. Today, we confer doctor of science in accounting on Dr. Iweala while Mallam Sanusi was awarded. doctor of science in Economics.
Source: Vanguard

The Vice Chancellor of Enugu State University Of Science and Technology Prof. Cyprian Onyeji have vowed that the lingering ASUU strike cannot draw the school's calender back anylonger.

In other words, he revealed that the proposed semester exams must commence as scheduled, describing the 5 months old ASUU strike as a social anomaly and vices which cannot sandwich their academic calender.

The V.C further noted that he rather do the exams at the nearby secondary school. This information is reaching to myschool through our reporter from ESUT, as informed by a lecturer who craved anonymity.

Prospects of university students resuming for academic activities this week appear to be in sight, as the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) met at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), at the weekend. Although details of their resolutions are still sketchy as at press time, a reliable source told Sunday Independent that the executive members of the union held their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Kano on Friday, to take some resolutions concerning their strike which began on July 2, nationwide.
The ASUU official, who preferred to anonymity, confirmed that the meeting took place at BUK, as earlier reported in the Monday, November 18 edition of Daily Independent.
He told our correspondent on phone that the meeting was in connection with their protracted strike and modalities to bring it to an end within the shortest possible time.
He said part of the agenda tabled for discussion at the NEC also included ways in which ASUU can contribute to the burial of the late Festus Iyayi, who died in a motor accident along Lokoja-Abuja road recently.
Asked if the strike would be suspended after the meeting, he simply said that appears to be a reality, but it might be called off later this week.
The ASUU strike, which has grounded academic activities in all the nation’s universities, has lingered on for almost five months now.
“Well, the NEC meeting is going on right now in Kano, but we are yet to come up with a resolution.
“Tentatively, the strike might be called off next week, going by the level of discussion here at the NEC,” he stated.
ASUU officials had earlier met with President Goodluck Jonathan, following the protracted nature the strike had assumed.
The Presidency was said to have intervened by pledging to inject N1.1trillion into the university system to address lingering challenges within the next five years.
President of ASUU, Nasir Fagge, and his team, after the meeting with the President, were to convene their NEC meeting on Wednesday November 13, when the accident that claimed Iyayi’s life on Tuesday November 12 occurred, while on their way to Kano.
The development had forced ASUU to suspend its NEC, and elicited diverse reactions from Nigerians since then.

IMPLEMENTATION of the agreement between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, may have to be delayed as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, Aloysius Etok, has said that the ongoing negotiations between the duo would be null and void without the input of National Wages and Salaries Commission.

Senator Etok stated this during an oversight tour of the Commission. He said that under no guise should the Federal Government negotiate salary or wage increase without the input of the relevant commission.

He attributed most of the incessant industrial actions in the country to sentimental negotiation for salary increase in the civil service.


He said: “We have said this earlier that on no account should Federal Government negotiate salary increase or anything that has to do with wages or salaries without the input of the Commission.

“They should avoid the issue of sentimental increase or negotiation and there should be no exceptions. Four months is about a semester.”

Etok further stated that the commission was expected to have played a prominent role in the 2009 agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU.

Questions budget

implementation

The Etok-led committee also demanded explanations from the commission on how the 2013 appropriation was implemented and why the impact of the commission was not felt on civil servants salaries crises that threaten some sectors of the economy from time to time.

He lamented the withholding of part of the 2013 budget of the commission, stressing that the commission required funds to carry out its research-based projects, calling for its immediate release so that the commission can implement its budget to the full.

He said: “The commission might look small but the importance cannot be overestimated. We have come to know your level of im-plementation of 2013 budget.

“We also want to know the relevance of the commission to the Federal Government; why your impact is not felt in the salary problems across the country; why the commission would be there when ASUU is on strike for months and who guided the Federal Govern-ment in the agreement entered into with ASUU in 2009?

“You cannot be ruled out in the scheme of things in this country.”

“They allowed ASUU compute its own salary”

Also speaking, Chairman of the commission, Dr. Richard Egbule, exonerated the com-mission from the agreement reached between the Federal Government and ASUU.

He said: “The Wages Commission has been up and doing in everything concerning wages and salaries in this country.

“When the controversial agreement was reached in 2009, we were there but not as negotiators. We made it known to them that the route they were going was wrong. Today, I wish to say that ASSU did not go on strike because of salaries because we handled it very well.

“What is controversial was the excess workload allowance, but we have asked them to employ more lecturers to avoid excess workload.

“There has never been a time any agency was asked to go and compute its own salary, but they allowed ASUU to do so. We needed a structural increase where government agency would be factored in.”

Egbule noted with regret that successive leaderships of ASUU had established the culture of using industrial action to announce their arrival.

The Senate committee visited the National Assembly Service Commission, where the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Umaru Fika, disclosed that N2.5 billion was appropriated to them in the 2013 fiscal year.
Source: Vanguard

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may hold its postponed National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Friday to decide whether or not to suspend the indefinite strike it began since July 2. A top official of ASUU, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this to Daily Independent in a telephone interview on Sunday.
He was, however, not certain if the NEC will still be held at the Bayero University, Kano where it was initially proposed to hold.
The leadership of the union postponed the scheduled Kano NEC meeting following the demise of one its key members, Festus Iyayi, who died last Tuesday in a ghastly motor accident on his way to Kano for the postponed NEC meeting.
The source noted that the union members are still grieved and are pre-occupied with the burial arrangement of the late Professor of Business Administration, who died along the Abuja-Lokoja highway in an accident caused by the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada.
The source debunked speculations in the social media that ASUU has jettisoned its NEC indefinitely, saying the union postponed the NEC meeting as a mark of honour and respect for the late Iyayi.
According to him, all ASUU officials that were supposed to participate in the NEC meeting last week Wednesday had actually gathered at the Bayero University, Kano, but for the unfortunate accident which claimed the life of Iyayi and disrupted the agenda already set for the meeting.
Meanwhile, Supervisory Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, also at the weekend led a delegation of government on a condolence visit to the residence of the late academician in Benin City.
Wike assured that the Federal Government would diligently implement all the agreements it reached with ASUU in the course of the negotiations with President Goodluck Jonathan.
Those in the delegation of the minister include Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Julius Okojie, and some top officials of Federal Ministry of Education.
They also visited the injured ASUU National Welfare Officer, Ngozi Iloh, who is said to be responding to treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin.
In a statement in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister’s Special Assistant (Media), Simeon Nwakaudu, said Wike solicited the permission of the family to allow the Federal Government participate in the burial ceremony of the former ASUU president.
“President Goodluck Jonathan and the entire administration are deeply pained by the sudden death of the former ASUU National President who played a key part in the negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government.
“We recall the significant contributions of Professor Iyayi during the 13-hour negotiations between President Jonathan and ASUU, which led to a headway in the discussions.
“I want to assure the family that the ideals that the late scholar fought and died for will never be forgotten. The Federal Government will diligently implement the decisions reached in the course of negotiations with ASUU.
“The Federal Ministry of Education wishes to be a part of the burial of this erudite scholar and we seek the permission of the family to participate in the burial. I pray God to grant the family the strength to bear this unfortunate loss,” Wike was quoted to have said.
Oriabure Iyayi, son of the late ASUU president, was said to have thanked President Jonathan, the Minister of Education and all Nigerians for commiserating with the family at their moment of grief.
A relative of the deceased, Prof. Robert Ebiwele, informed the minister that the burial will hold between December 5 and 9.
He assured that the family would inform the Federal Ministry of Education on the burial arrangements.
Source: daily independent

Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the University of Ibadan, has confirmed that stories which made the rounds on Saturday, that the National Executive Council, NEC, would hold an emergency meeting in Kano, were false.
Ajiboye was speaking in an interview on Diamond FM, University of Ibadan and stated that no meeting was scheduled for today, as they were still in the middle of a seven-day morning, which was declared in honour of the late Professor Festus Iyayi, a former national chairman of the Union.
It would be recalled that Iyayi lost his life in a fatal crash, on his way to Bayero University, Kano, where members of ASUU were to meet and reach a final decision, on whether to continue with the strike or accept the federal government’s offer.

This is to inform all University of Nigeria, Nsukka,(UNN) aspirants that the long awaiting first supplementary admission list is out. The list was released yesterday in the dailysun newspaper.

The first supplementary list can be accessed on Daily Sun Newspaper of November 15, 2013 for now on page 50.

According to the former report HERE about Iyayi, the former President of ASUU's death, the union have finally postponed the executive meeting scheduled to be held today 13/11/2012. Prof. Festus Iyayi, died on Tuesday in a car crash on Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.
Iyayi was returning from a meeting in one of the Northern ASUU chapters when the accident occurred.
He was in company with some ASUU leaders and they were said to be returning from Kano where they sought the views of members on ending the four-month-old ASUU strike.
  reportscould not confirm the total number of casualties in the crash.
However, we hope to hear from them soon on the newly fixed date.
Source: DailyTimes

AREA OF STUDY:

1. College of Engineering:

Departments: Chemical, Electrical/Electronic, Gas, Mechanical, Petroleum, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

2. College of Health Sciences:

Departments: Medicine & Surgery, Anatomy, Nursing and Dentistry

3. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

4. College of Natural & Applied Sciences:

Departments: Animal & Environmental Biology (AEB), Biochemistry, Microbiology, Geology, Computer Science, Maths/Computer/Pure Maths, Maths/ Statistics, Physics, Statistics, Plant Science & Biotechnology (PSB), Pure & Industrial Chemistry (PIC)

5. Faculty of Agriculture:

Departments: Agricultural Economics & Extension, Animal Science & Fisheries, Crop & Soil Science, Forestry & Wildlife Management.

6. Faculty of Social Sciences:

Department of Geography and Environmental Management.

7. TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES:

i. Department of Educational Management:

Education Social Sciences: (For candidates offering Economics, Accounting, Political Science and Geography Education)

ii. Department of Educational Foundations:

Education Arts - (For candidates offering English, Religious & Cultural Studies, History & Diplomatic Studies, Theatre Arts, Fine Arts & Design and French Education).

iii. Department of Curriculum Studies & Educational Technology:

Education Science - (For candidates offering Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics & Computer Science Education).

8. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

i. Department of Adult & Non-Formal Education
ii. Department of Educational Psychology, Guidance & Counselling
iii. Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education.

9. Humanities:


i. Department of Fine Arts & Design
ii. Department of Foreign Languages (For candidates offering French).
iii. Department of Linguistics & Communication Studies (For candidates offering Communication Studies).
iv. Department of Religious & Cultural Studies.
v. Department of Theatre Arts.
vi. Department of Music.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

i. Application for the various Programmes is online. Log on to www.uniport.edu.ng and click on application procedure in School of Basic Studies or Institute of Education or Faculty of Humanities; then follow the instructions.
ii. Application Forms can be obtained online on payment of non-refundable fee of Ten Thousand Naira (N10, 000.00) excluding bank charges at designated Banks nationwide.
iii. The names on candidates O’level certificates and UTME Results must be the same as what is filled online.
iv. *Application for Basic Studies Programmes will close on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013. WHILE THE COMPUTER-BASED SCREENING TEST IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013.
v. *Application online for the remaining programmes( in Education and Humanities) will close on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013.

SCHEDULE OF SCREENING EXERCISE

The Screening Test will be Computer-Based (CBT) and the Venue shall be ICTC, Building University Park, Uniport.

i. Applicants for School of Basic Studies

Date: Monday, November 25, 2013, Time: 9.00am

ii. Applicants for Institute of Education (Faculty of Education)

Date: *Tuesday, December 17, 2013. Time: 9. 00am

iii. Applicants for Faculty of Humanities

Date: *Thursday, December 19, 2013. Time: 9. 00am

ELIGIBILITY

The Pre-degree Programmes are open to all applicants with a minimum of five (5) credits in not more than two sittings in English language and other relevant subjects (in GCE, SSCE, NECO, NABTEB & TC II).

NOTE WELL: All candidates wishing to transit to the Degree Programme, in addition to the required 5 credits, must

i. Pass the prescribed pre-degree examinations

ii. Have the appropriate Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) subject combination and

iii. Must have the National Minimum Score in the 2014/2015 UTME.

Materials Needed for the Screening Exercise

Candidates are required to come with the following and be at the Venue by 8.00am

i. A clear copy of photocard printed online
ii. Biro, HB Pencil, eraser
iii. Non-Programmable Calculator.

For further information contact:

School of Basic Studies:

Phone: 0803 428 8672, 084 766 367 (calls within working hours)

Email: basicstudies@uniport.edu.ng

For technical support contact: basicsupport@uniport.edu.ng

Faculty of Humanities:

Phone: 08134474272 (calls within working hours)

Institute of Education, Faculty of Education:

Phone: 08033387462 (calls within working hours,8 to 4 pm).

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)

Hope for students of Lagos State university to resume with their counterpart in other universities as being speculated that the 4 months old strike will be called off seems to be dwindling as Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University chapter has threaten the state government and the institution’s governing council to continue the industrial action even if the national body of the union call off the lingering strike.
Source who pleaded anonymity revealed that part of decision reached at LASU’s chapter of ASUU congress yesterday is that they may embark on its local action, after the national strike is suspended or called off if the university’s Governing Council and the State Government fail to adequately address some of its local issues, which border on members’ welfare and a reduction in the institution’s tuition fees.
He said: “It is our resolve at the congress that if the state government and the university’s Governing Council, which is meeting on Wednesday, fail to address our local issues adequately, we shall embark on local actions.
“The university management has wasted four months without addressing our local issues, which border on the casualisation of our academic staff, the steep increment in tuition fees paid by students and the non-implementation of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2012, which allows academic staff on professorial cadre to retire at 70 years against the former 65 years.”
Source: Osun Defender

Varsity teachers met yesterday on the campuses to discuss President Goodluck Jonathan’s offer to end their more than four months strike.
According to the operating guidelines of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the local chapters are expected to vote on whether they agreed with the proposal and that the strike should end or whether they disapproved and the strike should continue.
Decisions reached on the various campuses are to be taken to tomorrow’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which will take a decision after aggregating the opinions.
Opinions were divided yesterday, although many ASUU chapters failed to disclose their decisions.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lagos State University (LASU), University of Calabar (UNICAL), Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Federal University of Technology Minna and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso chapters voted that the strike should end. Some of them, however, gave conditions.
The University of Jos (UNIJOS), the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the Nasarawa State University chapters voted that the strike should continue.
UNIJOS chapter chairman Dr. David Jankam said members did not see any substance in the dialogue with the Federal Government to warrant calling off the strike.
He said: “We have just rounded off our meeting. As a matter of fact, our members voted overwhelmingly for the continuation of the strike.
“I can also confirm to you that five of the eight universities that make up the Bauchi Zone of ASUU have also voted for continuation of the strike, and the general saying is that the government has not shown any commitment so far.
“We started the meeting by briefing our members on issues resolved with the Federal Government in the last meeting with the president of ASUU.
“But in responding to the briefing, our members observed that the main issues that led to the strike were not discussed at the Aso Rock meeting.
“As such, my members said President Jonathan is taking them for a ride by trying to divert attention from the core subjects of the strike.”
Jankam went on: “I will now convey the resolve of our branch to our national president at the NEC meeting tomorrow.”
Shedding light on how the meeting will decide the mater, he said: “If the majority of the chapters vote for its end, it will be called off, but if majority of chapters vote for continuation, so be it.”
The congress of the Union at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna was divided, with majority of the members supporting the suspension of the action. Others would want it suspended with some conditions met by the government.
The minority demanded that in calling off the action, the leadership of the union should insist that no member is victimised for his roles in the strike. They also insisted that government should indicate in the final agreement that the 2009 agreement was due for negotiation and the payment of the balance of their academic earned allowances.
As soon as Dr. Fatai Jimoh briefed the congress of the outcome of the meeting between President Jonathan and the union, the house was divided, with the majority of the members pushing for suspension.
The few dissenting voices argued that the union should not fall prey to the government’s ploy. They cautioned that the union cannot take the government for its word, maintaining that if the union had to embark on a strike after series of correspondences and strike in 2011 that led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012 were not honoured.
But majority of the university teachers said the plight of the students and their parents should be considered.
After an exhaustive debate, the congress directed its chairman to convey to the National Executive Council meeting holding tomorrow at the Bayero University in Kano that the union could consider suspending the action, but insisted that the three conditions be met.
Chapter chairman Dr. Fatai Jimoh, who initially refused to divulge the outcome of the congress, later said: “I have the mandate to take the decision of the congress to NEC. But, if you insist to know, majority of our members called for the suspension of the strike but with the government fulfilling three conditions.
“Don’t ask me the conditions, because we don’t want it yet in the public domain. All I can tell you is that the strike is still on, until the NEC of the union decides otherwise.”
The chapter chairman also refused to assess the impact of the action. He said: “As long as NEC has not suspended the action, it will be premature to assess the success or otherwise of the action. When the strike is called off, I’ll give my candid assessment.”
At Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, ASUU chair Comrade Yahaya Badeggi said: “The congress at IBBU Lapai resolved that the strike continues until when the National Executive Council of the union decides otherwise. We know they are still negotiating. We shall abide by the decision of NEC.”
On the gains of the action, Badeggi said: “I make bold to say that the action has produced some positive results. From the N100 billion released, our university got N450 million. This would not have been so but for the strike. I believe that at the end of the day, the university system will be better for it.”
The following are the decisions at the various ASUU chapters on the strike.
•University of Benin (UNIBEN). Members unanimously voted for the strike to continue because the Federal Government’s offer omitted some vital segments of the 2009 agreement;
•University of Lagos (UNILAG) teachers want suspension of strike, but will await further directive from the national body after meeting tomorrow in Kano;
•University of Calabar (UNICAL) lecturers voted for the suspension of the strike;
Nasarawa State University, Keffi. ASUU chair Dr. Theophilus Lagi, said: “I can assure you that all members present at the congress today wanted the strike to continue because the documents from the government failed to address the grey areas in contention. We believe there is nothing practicable in the government’s offer, even with the N200 billion it promised to release. Before we can suspend the strike, all unpaid salaries of our colleagues must be paid and there must be solid assurance from the government that no member will be victimised after the strike is eventually suspended;
•Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). When the issue was put to vote, the majority of members wanted an end to the strike, with the agreement that the government must sign a binding document on how it will release the N1.2 trillion it promised to release. They promised to abide by the decision of the NEC in Kano;
•Delta State University (DELSU) members want suspension of the strike.
•Ekiti State University (EKSU) lecturers would not disclose the outcome of the congress until after the NEC meeting tomorrow;
•Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH). The ASUU local chairman said he would not disclose the outcome of the congress but a lecturer who attended the congress said members were okay with the offer of the government and wanted the strike to end;
•Lagos State University (LASU) chapter supports the strike suspension.
A source who is from ASUU-LASU executive, but pleaded not to be mentioned, said the chapter only gave certain conditions under which the strike should be suspended.
Source: thenationonlineng