UNIZIK lecturers counter Ngige, say ‘we partook in 2022 ASUU national strike’

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), chapter, has called on the government and Nigerians to disregard what they described as false claims by the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, that ASUU members in three faculties of the institution namely: Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Clinical Sciences and Medicine did not partake in the 2022 ASUU‘s national strike.

According to a statement jointly signed by the chairman, ASUU UNIZIK, Mr Stephen Ufoaroh, and the secretary, Mr Peter Okoye, the claim by Dr Chris Ngige, that lecturers in the aforementioned three faculties did not participate in the strike is totally false, misleading.

“Recall that the 2022 ASUU national strike lasted between February 14 and October 17, 2022 and all the academic staff members of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka participated fully in the strike.

“The claim by Dr Chris Ngige that lecturers in the aforementioned three faculties did not participate in the strike is totally false, misleading, dishonourable and unworthy of a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Dr Chris Ngige has cajoled his colleagues in the medical field into the ignoble act of claiming that they were on duty during the pendency of the strike in an effort to split the ranks of the union. Lecturers in these three faculties ought to realise that as intellectuals, they have a divine responsibility to defend the truth.

“All the lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka participated in the 2022 ASUU national strike.

“For the record, there are concrete and verifiable evidence from memos and publications from the university that counter the false claims of the minister, as evidenced in various memos of the university administration relating to the closing and re-opening of the university consequent upon the strike.”