The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Wednesday, officially joined the ongoing strike called by the national body of the association.
The Chairman of the chapter, Prof Yinka Awopetu, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen after the congress of the union said the FUTA branch domesticated the decision of the national body after the congress of the chapter and directed all academic staff of universities to withdraw their services immediately.
Awopetu said the strike became necessary following the failure of the government to honour the memorandum of action signed with the union in 2019.
He said the Federal Government has intentionally ignored the agreement with the union, saying until the demands are met, no member would return to class.
He said: “The National body of ASUU declares strikes and ends strike but each branch must come back home and domesticate it and that is what we have just done today, so from today in FUTA, the strike has fully commenced.
“It is not a warning strike as some people are calling it but a total and comprehensive strike, though definite, it has a time, it is for one month and it will be reviewed later and we will know how to go about it”
He noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the Federal Government to honour the agreement with ASUU.
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According to Awopetu, the union should not be blamed for the incessant industrial action, saying all the cries by members of the public condemning the union should be laid at the doorsteps of the Federal Government.
He said “What exactly is becoming too much? The strike was suspended in November because of such cries by the parents and yet the Federal Government did not do anything and they are now saying it is too much.
“They should face the Federal Government and urge the Federal Government to do the needful. Everything promised had not been fulfilled, while some of them are fulfilled partially, some not even touched at all. So I don’t know what they mean by it is too much.
“Our demands, that the FG should renegotiate our 2009 agreement, sign it and implement it. That the FG should ensure that University autonomy does not fall and University should be revitalised to make us do more and make the students study better and our allowances should be paid. These are the things we have been saying all along.
“Also the FG should stop the state governments from creating Universities as primary schools. Delta State created three universities in a day while they cannot fund even one. So these are the problems we are talking about.
“Let us tell ourselves the truth, even when the students are in schools, they don’t have anything to work with, no reagents in laboratories, no equipment in workshops, is it not better for them to stay at home till Federal Government can provide this? Why must it be the lecturers that should be at the receiving end?
“As I am speaking with you, 2019 promotion arrears for me has not been paid till today or how many of the parents can stay without payment since 2019.”
Awopetu, however, maintained that the strike will be reviewed after one month said the strike would not be called off without a concrete resolution.
Meanwhile, following the pronouncement of FUTA ASUU on the strike, academic and social activities of the school has been paralysed while most of the students appealed to the government and the lecturers to resolve the crisis amicably.
Some of the students were seen loitering around, in the absence of lectures while lecture rooms literally deserted, as the lecturers complied with the strike directive.
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