By Douglas Okoro
The Ebonyi State University (EBSU) branch of ASUU has joined the national body in its four-week warning strike declared on Monday.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abakaliki on Friday by Dr Ikechuku Igwenyi, acting chairman of the branch.
Igwenyi stated that the decision to join the warning strike was taken at the branch’s emergency congress, held on Thursday.
He stated that an overwhelming majority of the congress voted in favour of the resolution to join in the strike.
“EBSU chapter of ASUU is activating and joining the strike because ASUU is a national union that secures our welfare and protects the staff and the institutions.
“EBSU ASUU as a critical branch is affected by all the demands made by the union,’’ the statement read.
Igwenyi noted that ASUU called the strike because of failure of the Federal Government to fully implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the union on Dec. 23, 2021.
The union expressed regret at government’s failure to act on the draft report of the renegotiated 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement which was submitted f
or finalisation more than nine months earlier.
The statement also frowned at the forceful payment of ASUU members’ salaries and emoluments through the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.
It noted that the non-adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution developed by the universities for payment of salaries and emoluments had continued to short-change ASUU members.
“By joining the strike, there shall be no academic activities such as teaching, seminars and defence of theses to statutory meetings of the Senate, Council, Convocation or Matriculation,’’ the statement added.
It assured that academic activities would resume soon as the strike was suspended.
Igwenyi called on parents, students and well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the union to rescue the university system from total collapse.
He contended that it would amount to act of historical irresponsibility on the part of ASUU to sit idly while the gains of the nation’s heroes past were being destroyed. (NAN)
