ASUU Denies Suspending Ongoing Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities said it has not suspended its ongoing nine-month-old strike.
Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos Chapter of ASUU disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Jos.
According to him, the union has not signed any agreement with the Federal Government to call off the strike as being purported in some quarters.
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He said that the Federal Government had promised to fulfill part of the agreement that led to the lingering strike, but had failed to do so to date.
“It must be categorically stated here that ASUU never signed any agreement to suspend the strike but agreed on timelines for government to implement certain aspects of the issues in contention.
“For instance, one of the issues agreed was that all the six to nine months withheld salaries and check-off dues of ASUU members will be released by Dec. 9, but the date has passed and nothing was done.
“The N40 billion earned academic allowances and N30 billion funding for revitalisation will also be released by Dec. 11, among other issues, but till now, none has been fulfilled.
“The next thing is that we heard Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, telling the public that ASUU agreed to suspend the strike,” he said.
Maigoro said the minister was quoted in some sections of the media that the government has fulfilled its part of the agreement reached to enable the union to call off the industrial action.
“He was quoted to have said the government had fulfilled its part of the gentleman agreement it entered with ASUU on Nov. 27.