Nigerian university reacts as striking lecturers insist on strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, has insisted that its ongoing strike will continue indefinitely if the university management fails to address its demands.

The union’s chairperson, Sylavnus Ugoh, said this during the union’s first congress held Tuesday at the union’s branch secretariat building on campus.

This was the union’s first congress meeting since the appointment of an acting vice-chancellor, Aisha Maikudi, a professor of Law, who assumed office on 1 July.

Mr Ugoh announced that the reason for the congress was to discuss the unresolved issues which led to the beginning of the ongoing strike in May

“Today marks the 62nd day since we began this strike. We have been pressing down our demands since the administration of the past VC, and till now, none of them has been resolved. We have explored different avenues for these issues to be resolved, but unfortunately, nothing has been done to address this,” he said.

The union said despite efforts by the union to have the issues resolved, they have remained unmet.

Mr Ugoh emphasised that the struggle had just begun if the new administration did not accede to their demands, reiterating the union’s commitment to continue the strike until their issues are resolved.

“We have been oppressed, and with this, the union has decided, with the support of the national body, to continue the struggle till these issues are resolved. Therefore, our resolution is to continue with the strike,” he added.

But the university has denied all the allegations, insisting that every action taken by the university followed laid down procedures and guidelines.

The institution’s spokesman, Habeeb Yakoob, spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the phone on Wednesday.

Strike

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the union embarked on an indefinite action in May over a series unresolved differences with the university management under the leadership of the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah.

The union said its congress, the board of trustees and the national leadership of the union had all sanctioned the strike.

Mr Na’Allah, who served from 2019 until 30 June, faced opposition from the union due to alleged violations of the university’s establishment laws, particularly regarding appointments and promotions without a governing council.

In April, the university’s management advertised for the vice-chancellor’s position, but the union opposed the move, insisting that such appointments are the exclusive responsibility of the university’s governing council.

The dissolution of the governing councils by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023 exacerbated the tension, leaving many federal universities, including the University of Abuja, without a council.

However, the university senate appointed a professor of law, Aisha Maikudi, in an acting capacity. The decision followed

A directive from the National Universities Commission (NUC) asking outgoing vice-chancellors to nominate a deputy to serve in an acting capacity pending the reconstitution of governing councils.

Ms Maikudi, previously the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs, assumed office on 1 July.

Issues in contention

Meanwhile, the lecturers’ union listed some of the issues in contention to include the aborted selection processes for Mr Na’Allah’s replacement, alleged staff promotion without following due process, the appointment of acting dean without a governing council and the removal of ASUU as a shareholder from the university microfinance bank registration details, among others.

The union said, “It was Na’llah’s agenda to enrol his own candidate of choice into the system. He took advantage of the confusion about the suspension of a governing council, and he advertised for the position, something that is unheard of in the history of the university. The rules of engagement are very clear, but he chooses to do otherwise. There are many eminent people in the university who are qualified for the position to lead us. Still, typically, due to arrogance, deceit and a lot of haughty presence, he didn’t listen.”

The union claims that the university management has recruited more than 200 workers without adhering to proper procedures,

University speaks

The university spokesperson, Mr Yakoob, denied the allegations, noting that the advertisement for the vice-chancellor’s position was approved by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, since there was no governing council in place.

He said: “There was also no illegal recruitment because the university, as usual, went through due process in recruiting its most recent staff. Management had, at several meetings with ASUU, provided facts and details to explain the legality of the recruitment exercise.”

On the promotion of staff, he said though academic staff in some federal universities are being promoted, “the management agreed to suspend the 2023/2024 promotion exercise until the governing council is in place, while it was also agreed that the earlier promotion exercises that were already ongoing should be completed immediately.”

Speaking on the university microfinance bank, he noted that the management has since approved one person to represent the union on the board.

“We have asked ASUU to, as a matter of urgency, send its representative to the management for onward transmission to the board to incorporate such member on the board. I doubt they have done this,” he said.

He added that for the deanship election, the management agreed to hold all the remaining deanship elections within 2 to 3 Days of ASUU calling off the strike.

“The good thing is that the acting vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, will be meeting the members of ASUU any moment to see how to resolve the issues raised by the union. The governing council of the university will also be inaugurated on Thursday. They will be looking at some of these issues when they resume,” he said.