19th September, 2011
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Benin Zone comprising (UNIBEN), Benin City, the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, and the Niger Delta University (NDU) Wilberforce Island, has given one week notice for a national strike.
The strike would commence form the midnight of 25th September 2011 in line with the directive from their National Executive Council (NEC).
Present at the press briefing to announce the strike were; Dr. Anthony Money-Emina., Dr. Emmanuel Mordi and Dr. Beke Sese.
Speaking at the University of Benin, the Zonal coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Sunny. O.Ighalo, accused the Federal Government of insincerity and haphazard implementation of the 2009 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement, a development that has left the vital aspects of the agreement unimplemented.
According to Dr.Ighalo, the government has continued to deployed instrument of deceit and refused to implement the vital and critical aspects of the 2009 agreement.
The aspect in contention include the non-passage of the law on 70 years retirement agefor academics in professorial cadre, Earned Allowances and Funding.
He decried the government’s deliberate act of promoting instability and industrial crisis in the universities as exemplified in its deliberate distortion of the 2009 agreement that is meant to rescue the universities from further decline.
He said several peaceful moves to get government to do the right thing was rejected, hence “We have resolved to embark on one week warning strike to compel a recalcitrant, insincere and unrepentant government to do the right thing.â€
The ASUU, he said, pleaded with parents and students and other stake holders to hold the government responsible for the disruption in academic activities in the universities beginning from 12 midnight of Sunday 25th September, 2011.
On the question that ASUU should be using alternative means of compelling the government to yield to its needs instead of always resorting to strike, Dr.Ighalo said the ASUU itself has asked the parents to suggest alternative means of resolving dispute with the government but they could no proffer any.
Dialogue alone, he claimed, could not persuade this government and previous governments to act.
“The agreement that was still to be implemented has been on since 2009 and was to be reviewed every three years how does one review what was never implemented?” he asked.
By Yomi Obaditan/Benin