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Sack Threat ASUU Dares FG
L-R: Chairman, Forte Oil, Mr Femi Otedola, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani and CBN Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, during a break-out session at the 15th meeting of the Honorary International Investors Council in London, recently.
Photo: NAN
The Federal Government yesterday ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities to reopen the institutions within one week or get sacked.
The supervising Minister of Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja.
He described the ongoing varsity teachers’ strike as “act of sabotage.”
“The continuation of the strike despite several meetings, especially with President Goodluck Jonathan is an attempt by the union to sabotage all efforts by government to address the issue,” he said.
Wike stated that government had directed that all Vice Chancellors of federal universities that are currently on strike should immediately reopen for academic and allied activities.
ASUU embarked on the strike on July 1 to protest government’s non-implementation of the 2009 agreement signed by both parties.
The minister disclosed that government had met all its commitments and obligations with respect to the agreement.
According to Wike, government took the decision to reopen the universities following ASUU’s new conditions which are “not tenable. “
His words: “On November 4, 2013 President Goodluck Jonathan met with ASUU executive, labour union leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), where all the issues were resolved and firm commitments made to address the lingering crisis.
“It is noteworthy that Mr. President’s gesture was more than sufficient to guarantee the commitment of government to address all issues raised at the meeting with Mr. President. At the end of the meeting, the ASUU team promised to convene a meeting of its National Executive Committee to present the resolutions reached and report back by Friday, November 8, 2013. It is unfortunate that while travelling to attend the NEC meeting in Kano, we lost a key member and former President of the union, Prof. Festus Iyayi.
“Government sympathizes with the family of the late Iyayi and ASUU. It is however amazing that three weeks after the meeting with Mr. President, ASUU responded by giving new conditions for suspending the five month old strike. I have never seen anywhere in any country where you sit down with Mr. President. That is the highest level of discussion. If you cannot believe Mr. President, then who else will you believe?”
“Any academic staff who fails to resume on or before December 4 automatically ceases to be a staff of the institution. Vice-Chancellors are also directed to advertise vacancies (internal and external) in their institutions. The National Universities Commission is hereby directed to monitor the compliance of these directives by the various institutions. The Federal Government has met all its commitments and obligations with respect to the FG/ASUU 2009 Agreement. We appeal to all stakeholders to appreciate the position of government which is in the best interest of our dear country.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities condemned the Minister over his comments that the union was making new “outrageous” demands, describing it as a lie.
The union said it had only asked President Goodluck Jonathan to facilitate the endorsement of resolutions reached with him and to also be signed by a top government official preferably the Attorney-General of the Federation but not a Permanent Secretary.
National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr. Ademola Aremu, stated the position of the union while speaking in Ibadan last Wednesday. Aremu praised the intervention of Jonathan but pointed out that some of the resolutions reached with him were not contained in the letter sent to the union.
ASUU said its representative and President of Nigeria Labour Congress should stand as witnesses when the document was to be signed.
The union added that it wanted the N200bn agreed as 2013 revitalisation fund for public universities to be kept with the Central Bank of Nigeria and disbursed to the benefiting universities.
Aremu said Wike should have told Nigerians that apart from the N30bn earned allowances released for university staff, the government had yet to release any other fund.
He said, “We are not making fresh demands. In fact, the National Executive Council of the union would have suspended the strike but the concern of our congresses is that many of the things agreed with the President, during the November 4 meeting, were not included in the letter signed by a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mark Nwobiala.”
He promised that the strike would end as soon as the omissions were corrected in the new resolution.
ASUU said it was evident now that the Federal Government was not ready to implement any resolutions it reached with the union.
“It is a pity if the federal government is not willing to perfect the resolutions reached with the union. This is why we find it difficult to trust our leaders by their words. How can someone be threatening to sack lecturers when universities are already short-staffed by almost 60,000. We are not in military era. The military tried it and failed, this one will fail again”, ASUU said.
ASUU chairman, Dr. Clement Chup of UniAbuja Chapter, said the union dared the Federal Government to sack its members over the prolonged universities’ strike.
He said in a telephone interview that “the school can go ahead and ask students to resume but we won’t do any work; we won’t teach them. It is not our responsibility to resume until ASUU decides. “We’re not afraid of that (sack). He (Education Minister) can go to the motor park to recruit lecturers that will lecture the students. You can now see the insincerity of some people in government.
We told the government when we met that we’re ready to suspend the strike once we’re able to clarify some issues in our agreements with them. But they went ahead without clarifying those issues at stake. We dare them to sack us,” Dr. Clement Chup said.
In his reaction, Chairman, University of Lagos branch of ASUU, Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka said that the development was strange and laughable.
He said that this was so considering the fact that the union was yet to get back to the government, after their deliberations with President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Our reaction is simple. Let us just wait for the seven days to come around.” What government has just done shows that they were not committed in the offer they made with the union that had the Trade Union Congress President and the Minister of Labour in attendance,” he said.
Immediate past Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo simply described the development as “a glorified joke and laughable”.
Oyewo noted that it was funny that one of the parties which had before now been holding dialogue, would try to intimidate the other.
Also commenting on the directive, Head of Department of Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Sat Obiyan said that the ultimatum was not the best approach to resolving the issue.
The Coordinator of Education Right Campaign (ERC), Mr Hassan Soweto, said that the ultimatum would only worsen the problem, noting that it was against the principle of public bargaining.
“What ASUU wants is some level of commitment from the Federal Government before it will suspend the strike. “It is not right for the government to use force in a democracy,” he said.
A student of Lagos State University, Ojo, Mr. Agbomeji Ibrahim urged the Federal Government not to be authoritative by giving lecturers one week to return to classes or face sack.
Ibrahim urged the Federal Government to be more sensitive in its decision and pleaded that ASUU should also have a rethink as the strike was old enough to be called off.
“The Federal Government must be careful, logical and realistic in its decision, because of the importance of the sector. “Both the Government and ASUU need to accommodate each other on the negotiation table because both parties cannot get all their demands and must be ready to shift grounds,” Ibrahim said.
Chairman of ASUU at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, said lecturers were not worried by the return-to-work order by the federal government.
Abada said in Nsukka that the union was not dealing with the minister who gave the order but with President Goodluck Jonathan.
“It is unfortunate that the minister thinks that he can use his office to threaten lecturers. The December 4 ultimatum to lecturers to resume work or risk being sacked cannot work,” Abada said.
He said it was unfortunate that rather than pursue amicable resolution of the crisis, the minister was issuing a ‘military order’.
The Rivers State Government has commended the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) for its outstanding contributions to the development of Rivers State, particularly in the areas of peacebuilding, education, healthcare, and moral development.
Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, stated that the Church has remained a dependable partner in promoting peace, unity, justice, moral discipline, and social harmony across society.
The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, made the remarks during the thanksgiving service marking the 30th Anniversary and First Session of the 11th Synod of the Diocese of Niger Delta North, held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Sunday.
Governor Fubara described the Synod’s theme, “Kingdom Advancement: The Priority of Every Believer,” as timely and relevant, considering the prevailing realities in society.
According to him, the Church continues to play a vital role in shaping societal values and inspiring hope among citizens.
“The Church remains a vital partner in promoting peace, unity, justice, and moral discipline. Its role in shaping values and inspiring hope cannot be overemphasized,” he stated.
The Governor further acknowledged the Anglican Communion’s contributions in education, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment, humanitarian services, and spiritual guidance across communities in Rivers State.
“The Rivers State Government appreciates the invaluable contributions of the Anglican Communion in education, healthcare, youth development, humanitarian support, and spiritual guidance. Your impact across communities in Rivers State continues to strengthen families and promote peaceful coexistence among our people,” he added.
Governor Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a peaceful, united, and prosperous Rivers State where all citizens can thrive irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or social background.
He also urged the Synod to continue praying for sustainable development and progress in Rivers State and Nigeria at large.
Earlier in his sermon, the Guest Minister, Joseph Olushola, spoke on the topic, “Kingdom Investment and Internal Rewards,” urging Christians to remain faithful stewards of God’s blessings and committed to advancing God’s kingdom through service and generosity.
The cleric emphasized that believers are custodians of the virtues and resources entrusted to them by God, stressing that divine rewards are based on faithfulness and impact rather than material possessions.
The Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, in partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has reaffirmed support for efforts to expand gas distribution infrastructure in Rivers State as part of initiatives aimed at improving access to affordable, cleaner and more reliable energy for industries across the South-South region.
The commitment was highlighted during the SNG–MAN Business Forum held in Port Harcourt, where stakeholders from the industrial and public sectors examined the role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, boosting local production and strengthening energy security.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, the company’s Head of Gas Distribution, Mr. Chukwuka Amos Ejesi, described natural gas as a critical component of Nigeria’s energy mix and a key driver of sustainable industrial growth.
According to him, Nigeria’s gas development agenda has reached a stage where policy direction must be matched with practical implementation capable of addressing the energy challenges confronting manufacturers.
He noted that pipeline gas offers industries a cleaner, more dependable and cost-effective energy alternative capable of supporting uninterrupted operations, reducing emissions and improving production efficiency.
“Gas is the backbone of manufacturing, and we are encouraged by the growing recognition among stakeholders of the need for cleaner and more reliable energy solutions,” he said.
Ejesi stressed the need for sustained collaboration among energy providers, government institutions and industrial stakeholders to maximise the country’s gas resources for economic development.
He added that improved gas infrastructure would strengthen manufacturing value chains, enhance productivity and promote more competitive industrial operations across Rivers State and the wider South-South region.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of expanding energy infrastructure as a pathway to unlocking industrial capacity, reducing operating costs and promoting sustainable industrial development.
Representing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Director-General of the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to partnering with private sector investors to revitalise industrial activities in the state.
He identified key projects targeted under the initiative to include the revival of the Ahoada Industrial Park, the New Port City project and the proposed Bonny Industrial Park, all aimed at stimulating economic growth and expanding industrial opportunities along the Bonny corridor.
According to the governor, the long-term vision is to position Rivers State as a leading manufacturing hub in Southern Nigeria through strategic public-private partnerships.
Governor Fubara also commended Shell Nigeria Gas and MAN for sustaining engagements geared towards improving industrial energy access, noting that gas infrastructure development remains central to the state’s economic recovery plans.
He further observed that the gas sector presents enormous opportunities for economic growth, especially as global energy systems continue to shift towards cleaner energy sources.
The governor called on stakeholders to work collectively towards developing a practical and sustainable gas framework capable of supporting the state’s industrial and energy development objectives.
By; Kevin Nengia
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has charged newlywed couples to build their marriages on the virtues of love and submission as taught in the Word of God.
Prof. Odu gave the charge at the wedding ceremony of Amblessed Favour Sunny-Cookey and Samson Jesuganji at Lifegate Power Ministries, Dominion Cathedral, in Port Harcourt on Saturday, 16th May 2026.
The Deputy Governor congratulated the couple on beginning a new phase of life together and prayed for God’s blessings upon their union, noting that the couple had been raised by godly parents and encouraged them to uphold the Christian values instilled in them.
Referring to the sermon delivered during the ceremony, Prof. Odu emphasized that the principles of love and submission remain fundamental to a successful marriage.
According to her, genuine love reflects the nature of God, stressing that love should remain the foundation of the couple’s relationship as they journey through life together.
Prof. Odu further prayed for enduring peace, happiness, and progress in the home, expressing confidence that the marriage would continue to flourish under God’s guidance.
The Deputy Governor also commended the families of the couple for their support and upbringing, while urging the newlyweds to always remember the significance of the day and the commitment they had made before God and witnesses.
In his sermon at the wedding, the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, stated that marriage did not originate from Western culture, traditions, or human ideas, but from God, whom he described as the “manufacturer” of marriage.
According to the cleric, couples seeking lasting and peaceful homes must rely on biblical principles rather than societal trends or assumptions.
He explained that many marital crises and rising divorce rates stem from ignorance and failure to apply scriptural teachings in family life.
Drawing from the biblical parable of building a house on a rock, Pastor Ibiyeomie said the Word of God remains the only solid foundation capable of sustaining marriages through challenges and difficult times.
He noted that marriage naturally comes with unexpected realities and pressures, stressing that religious ceremonies or cultural practices alone are not enough to sustain a home without proper understanding of God’s instructions.
The pastor further warned that ignorance of scripture remains one of the greatest weapons against believers, urging Christians to study and practice the Word of God rather than merely attending church services.
It would be recalled that the bride is the daughter of Pastor Sunny Cookey the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Lifegate Ministries. The Ceremony had lots of Ministers in attendance which includes Apostle Zilly Aggrey, Pastor George Izunwa, and Bishop Winston Iwo