Lecturers at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday, staged a peaceful rally round the university campus to sensitise parents, students, as well as other stakeholders ahead the looming nationwide strike.
The ASUU OOU chapter also carried placards bearing different inscriptions which included: “Nigerians, ASUU has sacrificed more than enough for the survival of the university system,” “FG stop playing politics with our educational system,” “Education is a right and not a privilege,” “Our negotiation should be completed and implemented” among others to drive home their messages.
Led by the OOU branch Acting Chairman, Dr. Olooto Wasiu, the ASUU members went round all the departments in the university’s main campus, briefing students of the imminent strike action and appealing for their understanding, as they also emphasised that the strike is meant to save the nation’s public universities.
At the garage and bus terminals, where rally had a stopover to address motorists about the looming strike action, ASUU – OOU said it was acting on the directive of the national body, stressing that the strike ought to have commenced but the union resolved to postpone it till a date in July to enable the lecturers prepare the minds of stakeholders ahead of the industrial action.
Addressing newsmen at the ASUU Secretariat after the rally, the Acting branch Chairman, Dr. Olooto said the federal government is disbanding of some Governing Council Boards of Federal Universities when their tenure had not yet ended and its refusal to recall them, owing members three and half months under the guise of ‘no work, no pay policy’ as punishment for previous strike and quest for university autonomy as some of the reasons for the looming nationwide strike.
Olooto also made allusions to non – implementation of the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement in full, rejection of the UTAS payment system developed by the ASUU and the continued use of the IPPIS to pay members as other unresolved issues necessitating the impending nationwide strike by ASUU.
He said the strike is inevitable hence the advance notice to Nigerians, particularly stakeholders, so that nobody would be taken unaware.
“There are many things the government has not done. Our colleagues were owed eight months salary because of the previous strike. They adopted the policy of ‘no work no pay.’ They have paid for four and half months. It still remains three and half months unpaid. We are saying the remaining months owed our members should be paid.’’
