UniAbuja Resumes Lecture..Situation Report From Other Universities

UNIABUJA

Lectures have commenced in almost all departments of the University of Abuja since December 2, a top official of the institution has said.
Dr Peter Maidoki, the Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of the university, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He said some members of ASUU in the institution were responding positively to the Federal Government’s directive to reopen the universities.

Maidoki said a register was opened at both the mini campus and the permanent site of the university, for returning lecturers to sign.

“I just signed and have finished attending to a class; my colleague has just taken over from me,” he said.

The director added said though some of the lecturers who had resumed work were eager to teach, there were no student in some of the departments.

He called on ASUU to suspend its strike, which he described as overdue, so as to enable the students to return to classes.­

DELSU ASUU

Delta State University, Abraka branch of ASUU has warned students nationwide not to delude themselves by returning to their campuses, because it is risky.

The DELSU ASUU congress made this known on Tuesday, in a release issued after a special session it held at its campus in Abraka, Delta State.

In the release signed by its chairman, Dr Emmanuel Mordi, the union, while enjoining proprietors and vice chancellors of state universities to thank President Jonathan for accepting to assist their universities with billions of naira in the November 4 MoU, said it would be foolhardy for any student to return to any campus for lectures.

“For now, it will be foolhardy for any student to return to any campus for lectures which are non-existent. No lecturer will teach at the point of bayonet,” the release read, adding that the strike was embarked upon to provide teaching/laboratory aids and hostel facilities for students.

The union, which resolved to continue to support the national leadership of the union until the strike was formally called off, advised students to ignore the call by the Federal Government to return to school when the industrial action had not been called off by the lecturers.

UNIBEN
Feelers from the University of Benin (UNIBEN), on Tuesday, indicated that lecturers and students of the institution are not being moved by the order of the government.

Investigations conducted by the Nigerian Tribune during a visit to the campus of the institution at Ugbowo, Benin City, showed that though registers were opened as directed by the Federal Government, many academic staff members did not show their faces at the campus.

However, a report indicated that some of the lecturers signed the register at the office of the Dean of Academics.

Only a handful of students were also on the campus on Tuesday, just like any other day since the commencement of the strike, as the institution was preparing for the burial of the former president of the union, Professor Festus Iyayi, scheduled to begin today.

In a press statement issued after a press conference, the UNIBEN chapter of ASUU expressed solidarity with the leadership of ASUU, recalling that similar tactics to break ASUU strke had failed in the past.

The chapter condemned in strong terms what it described as “the lies and distortion of facts by the Supervising Minister of Education,” while calling on President Jonathan to “continue on the path of honour to dialogue with the union.”