ASUU Explains Suspension Of Strike

The Calabar zonal Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Charles Ononuju, says the suspension of the strike is a proof to Nigerians that the union means well for the education sector.

Ononuju told newsmen  in Umuahia last Thursday that although the Federal Government had not implemented the agreement, the union suspended the strike.

He said that Nigerians had formed a perception about the union as an insatiable group that was out to destroy the nation’s education system.

“We decided to suspend the strike in order to change the public perception that ASUU is troublesome.

“On the contrary, the union means well for the nation’s education sector and wants the system to improve,” he said.

Ononuju said that the union decided to give the Federal Government “the benefit of doubt”, believing that it would not renege in the implementation of the agreement with it again.

He said that the Federal Government would release N100 billion to both the federal and state-owned universities this year, while N400 billion would be released in the next four years. He described it as a non-budgetary intervention fund to all the universities in the country, designed to boost the state of infrastructure in the benefiting institutions.

Ononuju said that the zone would meet on Friday to review the suspension and take the resolutions of the meeting to the local branches.

Meanwhile the Public Relations Officer of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Mrs Onyinye Ralph-Nwachukwu, said that the University Senate would meet on Friday to decide the date for the resumption.

Ralph-Nwachukwu  said that “the Senate will meet to decide when the university will resume.”

Also the Deputy Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr Emmanuel Onyekweodili, said that the university would draw up a new academic calendar to make up for the period lost to the strike.

Meanwhile, two students of the university, Messrs Ahamefule Okoro and Christian Onyekeleihem, have expressed joy over the suspension of the strike.