Lecturers under the banner of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA), University of Ibadan (UI), and Lagos State University (LASU) have downed their tools following the instruction of the national body to embark on industrial action.
The chapters’ leaders of the respective institutions communicated this to PREMIUM TIMES in separate telephone interviews on Tuesday.
The chapter secretary of LASU, Tony Dansu, told PREMIUM TIMES that its congress held on Tuesday.
“LASU has never for once disobeyed the directive of the national body. We complied immediately.”
“We were given a directive to call a congress to formally inform members between Monday and Wednesday. We held our congress today and members have agreed and (have) officially informed the university administration that we are on strike,” he said.
Shola Fayose, the chairman of ASUU, AAUA told our correspondent that the strike remains total in AAUA ”after its congress on Monday”.
“We held our congress yesterday and we’ve obeyed the directives of the national body. The strike has started at AAUA,” he said.
Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach out to any union leader in UI proved abortive but students and members of ASUU who spoke with our correspondent confirmed that no lecture is holding.
“Since yesterday, we’ve not had any classes following ASUU strike. It took effect yesterday,” Zainab Alli, a student said.
Also, a lecturer of the institution who does not want his name on print because he is not authorised also confirmed this.
“Does ASUU UI stand alone? ASUU has declared the strike nationwide and we are fully part of it. We can’t stand alone because it is a national decision,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported the positions of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife on the industrial action.
The national strike was declared on Sunday by the national president, ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi after the National Executive Council meeting at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State.
All academic staff of universities were directed to withdraw their services immediately.
He disclosed that the strike became necessary due to certain reasons which include the failure of the government to honour the memorandum of action signed between the union and the federal government in 2017 and renegotiation with ASUU, ”which the government intentionally ignored with impunity”.
He ordered that until the demands are met, ”no (ASUU) member should go to the class”.