The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter yesterday prevented Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) and former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili from speaking at an anti-corruption event.
The union led by its chairman, Dr Kasim Umaru, disrupted the event held at the University of Abuja.
Umaru told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Wednesday that they disrupted the programme because of the ongoing strike, adding that they have no regret for their actions.
He said such magnitude of programme could not hold in the institution because lecturers were also involved in the event.
“Those eminent personalities for the programme are all aware of our plight and did nothing, we disrupted the event because we are on strike,” he said.
The convener of the event and National Coordinator of African Initiative Against Corruption and Exam Malpractice AFICEM, Dr Francis Abioye regretted the action of the ASUU, saying they erred by disrupting the event.
Abioye said the management of the university had earlier approved the institution’s auditorium as venue for the anti corruption programme.
He said the programme was not an academic event, but was organized to educate Nigerians especially students against corruption and related cases.
In his remarks, the university Students’ Union Government (SUG), President, Mr Chizurum Anabaronye said the development was regrettable and disappointing.
“It is unfortunate because students would have benefited immensely in the programme considering the personalities involved in the programme.
“Wole Soyinka is a person every student wants to see and the only opportunity to hear him speak was disrupted, we mobilized the students for the event but later communicated to them on the development,” he said.
One of the facilitators and Osun High Court Judge, Justice Oloyode Folahanmi, who also spoke to NAN said AFICEM planned to celebrate the 2018 anti corruption day with a lecture on the ‘Benefits of Examination Ethics’ which was disrupted.
“The Noble Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, other eminent persons and myself were to speak to Nigerian students on the need to abide by the rules guiding examination ethics.
“We are partners in progress, we feel the plight of ASUU and we want to fix Nigerian problem so it was wrong to disrupt the programme,” he said.
While calling on FG to address the demands of ASUU, Folahanmi said the reason for targeting students was because of the belief that quest for societal regeneration must begin with the youths.
Meanwhile, health workers across the nation have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over the federal government’s failure to keep its promise of prompt payment of salary arrears and other allowances owed them.
The workers, under the aegis of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), issued the warning yesterday at the end of the 45th session of their National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, President of the union, Josiah Biobelemoye, said government’s perennial failure to honour agreements entered with the union informed the resolution to shutdown health facilities and embark on the industrial action any moment from today.
Though Biobelomoye did not announce any date for the commencement of the strike, he urged the public to hold the government responsible for any inconvenience that may be experienced during the period. He said: “Comrades, we have to prepare ourselves. We will no longer take that deceitful story of ‘there is no money.’
“It is our view that corruption cannot be fought when injustice is not addressed. If the same ministry of health can appropriate to pay illegal items such as skipping to the medical doctors who are not even entitled to such benefit, there is no reason they should tell us skipping allowance for other health workers has been abrogated.
“Can the Federal Executive Council quash the ruling of any court? The court has ruled that we should be paid skipping allowance.
If the government believes in the rule of law, then it just has to pay us that money because it has paid those who are not even entitled to it.
“Although the Income and Wages Commission had advised that these people (doctors) are not entitled to this money, don’t pay them, they same government, the same ministry of health who claim there is no money to pay us still went ahead to pay them (doctors).
“Unless we agree to take our destiny in our hands, nobody in that ministry will give us what is due to us. We call on Nigerians to have this understanding with us when the time comes.” Speaking also, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who is also a member of the union, called on health workers across the country to unite together in pursuit of a common interest.
He also condemned the idea of privatizing the health sector by some Nigerians, describing the idea as anti-masses.
“Anybody that tells me that privatising the health care will make it better, it is false. What have become of the privatisation of the power sector? We have seen it as exploitation,” Wabba said.