Unilag, LASU lecturers say they will not resume work

Lagos - Lagos State University
(LASU) branch of ASUU, on
Tuesday said its members would
not resume duty unless so directed
by its national chapter.
The Chairman of the branch, Dr
Idris Adekunle, announced this at a
news conference in Lagos on
Tuesday.
Adekunle said the LASU branch of
ASUU had resolved to continue
with the indefinite strike.
He said that members had also
resolved not to sign any register if
the university’s management
decided to open any.
“The Congress unanimously
resolves that if for any reason the
management opens any register,
no member of ASUU shall sign
such.”
“ASUU, particularly LASU chapter,
is as solid as ever and will not be
moved by any threat.”
“We are not having serious
problems with the management
because we have been educating
them on the developments,” he
said.
Adekunle said that the lecturers
had also resolved not to attend the
academic meeting called by the
Governing Council of LASU.
“ASUU LASU resolves that no
member shall attend the meeting
called by the LASU Governing
Council because we are still on
strike,” he said.
On the reopening of some
universities, the chairman said it
was “mere propaganda” as they
were not closed in the first
instance.
“University gates have never been
closed since the strike started
because research work and
community service have been
going on.”
“We have been working, but only
suspended the teaching aspect, we
still do our research and
community service,” he said.
The ASUU chairman said although
the lecturers had not been paid for
months, they were joyfully going
on with the strike because it was a
community service in the interest of
the nation.
Adekunle said that the threat by the
government to sack lecturers “was
an empty one, as the philosophy of
ASUU is “Sack one, sack all and an
injury to one is an injury to all.”
According to him, although the
directive by the Federal
Government is to federal
universities, state universities are
in support of their members in the
federal institutions and are not
backing out.
“Our rank and file do not
discriminate between state and
federal universities because we are
one,” he said.
He urged the State Government to
reduce school fees and make the
institution affordable for the
common man.
Meanwhile, two students who were
seen on the campus said they were
there to do other things and there
was no circular on when the school
would resume.
The Acting Director, Information,
Press and Public Relations Unit of
LASU, Dr Sola Fosudo, had told
NAN on Monday that the
management would have to meet
to decide on the issue.
“The decision of the management
would be relayed to the public as
soon as the meeting is held”, he
had said.
At the University of Lagos, there
was no sign of lecturers ready to
resume work.
NAN reports that apart from a few
fresh students who were carrying
out their registration, there was no
trace of academic activities.
Most of the lecturers’ offices and
the lecture theatres were locked.
Business activities on campus
remained low as there were no
customers to patronise the various
operators.
NAN also reports that there were
no registers for the lecturers to sign
on the campus.
Dr Olubunmi Ajibade, Senior
Lecturer, Mass Communication
Department, said that there would
be no academic activities come
Dec. 4, in the institution.
He said that the lecturers could not
be forced into carrying out services
against their wishes, going by the
federal government’s directive.
“As far as lecturers in Unilag are
concerned, the strike continues
until government does the needful,”
he said.
Dr Samuel Ugo, of the Political
Science Department of the
institution, said lecturers would
work with the directive issued by
the National Executive Committee
of ASUU.
Ugo noted that the universities had
been open all through the strike but
that the lecturers had withdrawn
their services.
He said that it was a
misconception for people to say
that the universities were closed.
“Students have been directed by
NEC to also steer away from
classes,” Ugo said.
The Federal Government had
directed Vice Chancellors to reopen
federal universities and that those
who did no resume by December 4,
automatically ceased to be
employees of the institutions.
The deadline had now been shifted
to December 9.
ASUU had, however, vowed to
continue with its five month old
strike.
-    NAN