ASUU COMMENCES INDEFINITE STRIKE

The Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] has proceeded on an indefinite strike starting on Sunday.

The National President of the association, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie who confirmed this told newsmen in Port Harcourt that this time; the strike will be “total and comprehensive”.

He revealed that during the striking period, grading and marking of scripts will not be allowed and explained that the union’s decision is pegged on the refusal of the federal government to implement the core of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement.

According to him with the failure of federal government to address the issues even when ASUU granted it a two months grace period it had become clear that the government was not willing to honor the agreement.

Professor Awuzie noted that though the decision to proceed on an indefinite strike is painful, the union would align with allied unions in the country to resist the proposed removal of fuel subsidy by the government.

“NEC, having noted that the federal government neglected, ignored, failed and refused to implement the core components of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement after more than two years of its signing, having squandered two months it requested without achieving any progress in the implementation of the agreement, having sacked the Implementation Monitoring Committee that served as the forum for dialogue with ASUU on this dispute, is convinced that the government is terribly insincere and is manifestly unwilling to genuinely implement the agreement it freely entered into with ASSU.

“The government has abandoned the main tenet of industrial democracy- that all agreements freely entered into must be honoured.

“Therefore, ASUU resolved, painfully, to direct all members of ASUU in all branches nationwide to proceed on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike, beginning from the midnight of Sunday, 4th December, 2011.

“For the avoidance of doubt, a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike means: no teaching, no examination, no grading of script, no project supervisions, no inaugural lectures, no appointment and promotion meeting, no statutory meetings (Council, Senate, Board etc) or other meetings directed by government or their agents”,

“The World Bank and IMF were decisive in sponsorship and constitution of the Economic Team, which was put in place following the inauguration of Mr President after the April 2011 elections.

“The ruling class has failed. It cannot provide jobs, education, healthcare, affordable transportation, roads and so on. It is incapable of uniting the people; it uses ethnic origin as a political weapon. The ruling class violates the integrity of the judiciary.
“The faction in power, with President Jonathan as head, is unable to protect the people from hunger, robbery, murder of innocent citizens and generalised insecurity. Politically, Nigeria is in a precarious position in spite of the 2011 general elections.

“In recent months, federal government has intensified its campaign for devaluation, privatization and petroleum price increase, which the Nigerian labour movement, including ASUU, shall resist”, he said.