Wife of Bayelsa State Governor, Mrs Alanyingi Sylva (left) presenting a gift to a child at the 2009 Children’s Day celebration in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The lingering disagreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Federal Government taking its bearing from the University of Ilorin in 2001 where about 49 lecturers working in the institution were sacked following their participation in a strike action, is said to be part of the current agitations by the university teachers across the country. Addressing journalists at the ASUU Secretariat in Calabar at the weekend, the National President of the body, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie said that the continuous refusal of the Federal Government to see reason why it should restrain and allow negotiations that are devoid of intimidations have fallen on deaf ears. Where this situation is allowed to continue, he explained that the Universities stand the risk of losing one academic year, which is counter to our resolve to improve standards. Our correspondent reports that the three unions operating in the University of Calabar and even other tertiary institutions in Cross River including, ASUU, SSANU and NASU jointly passed a vote of no confidence on the Federal Government, expressing disgust over its lukeworm attitude on the teachers’ requests. At the end of their separate congresses in Calabar, the unions said academic activities in the State, nay the country, would remain in limbo pending the resolution of the matter by both parties. It was resolved at the three congresses meeting separately, that the following issues be addressed by government as condition for the suspension of the current industrial actions by the unions: 1. To reverse the decay in the university system, in order to reposition it for greaster responsibilities in national development. 2. Reverse the brain drain, not only by enhancing the remuneration of academic staff, but also by disengaging them from the encumbrances of a unified civil service structure 3. To restore Nigerian universities through immediate, massive and substantial financial intervention, and 4. To ensure genuine university autoonomy and academic freedom. The union leaders further observed with dismay, the exodus of high profile lecturers and other experienced administrative and accounting staff arising from the non-implementation of monetisation and consolidated salary structure as obtainable in the Nigerian universities.