‘ASUU Strike Not Over Yet’

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) chapter, Dr Felix Igwe, has said the union is not in a hurry to suspend its strike for now.

Dr Igwe who spoke against the background of speculations that ASUU may suspend its three month old strike today told The Tide in a telephone interview yesterday in Port Harcourt, that the union could not suspend the strike without recourse to its National Executive Council.

He said that ASUU as the most democratic institution in Nigeria takes decision based on the mandate of the congress.

He said that it was only when the congress had met to review the strike that it could be called off.

The ASUU boss also said that though the Federal Government was implementing some aspects of the 2009 Agreement reached with ASUU, the situation was however not obtainable in the two state-owned universities in Rivers State, the University of Science and Technology (RSUST) and the Rivers State University of Education.

It would be recalled that the union had embarked on indefinite strike to press home its demand for the full implementation of its agreement with the Federal Government.

But last week the minister of Education, Prof Ruquyyatu Rufai said that ASUU would call off the seven-week old strike today.