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UniAbuja ASUU calls off strike 82 days after}ya⅔
By Emmanuel Ologun
Abuja
The University of Abuja ( UniAbuja) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) on Monday, called off it’s “indefinite, comprehensive, total strike” after 82 days following the intervention of the newly appointed university council.
Academic staff members on May 2, 2024 initiated an industrial action against the management of the university after the five fundamental demands raised against the former Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdulraseed Na’Allah, who left the institution recently after five years in office, were not met .
Addressing newsmen on the decision to suspend the strike, the chairman of ASUU, UniAbuja, Comrade Sylvanus Ugo, stated that the new council has promised to grant the five demands of the lecturers which included a review of deanship appointments made by outgone VC, Professor Abdulraseed Na-Allah, the restoration of shares and membership of the university micro-finance bank among others.
Comrade Ugo said the former vice chancellor deliberately violated laid down regulations on the appointment of deans, the recruitment and promotion of staff, and illegally advertised the position of vice chancellor in an attempt to install a stooge to replace him.
He also disclosed that the former vice chancellor tried to shortchange ASUU by declaring that ASUU has no right to own shares or participate in the running of the UniAbuja Micro-Finance Bank.
“The deanship is by election but the former vice chancellor refused to allow election to hold to fill the positions. He said he was facing opposition but we told him there was no opposition. He simply handpicked some persons and made them acting deans against the laws of the University.
“The strike took time to be declared. There are processes laid down for strikes and we followed the process meticulously.
“Now that the government has reconstituted the governing council of the university and it has promised to look into our demands, we have resolved today (Monday) to suspend the strike for normal academic activities to return to the university,” ASUU chairman said.
Recall that at the height of the strike, the Committee on Tertiary Education of the House of Representatives invited the management of the University led by Professor Abdulraseed Na-Allah and the leadership of the ASUU for dialogue on how to end the industrial action which crippled activities at the University without success.