By Temitope Adedeji
Things may fall apart anytime soon in the educational sector of the country as there is palpable fear of a fresh round of strikes in Nigerian public universities as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, holds its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Calabar, Cross River State which germane issues confronting the union is being discussed including the unchallant attitude of government towards it.
Germane reporters learnt that the meeting commenced yesterday, Saturday, November 3, and is still ongoing at the time of filing this report which may be left with no option than to go on indefinite strike action over the attitude of the Federal Government.
It would be recalled that the union has been in logger head with the Nigerian government over unfulfilled promises and the continued refusal to pay its members the eight-month withheld salaries for the last industrial action by the Union which the intervention of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila saved the situation half way in October after eight months of strike.
The Federal government of Nigeria had earlier insisted on implementing the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy for the period the university workers were away from their duty posts which the academic union also insisted that it may turn out to be “no pay – no work” if the government refused to play to the rule of “keeping to promises”
Though it seems no decision has has been taken on whether to go on strike or not until the outcome of the meeting is made known to newsmen..
Meanwhile, the Union has as at last week mandated its members to embarked on protest over the issue of eight-months withheld salaries across institutions including FUTA, UI, and others.
There is every possibility that the meeting will come to an end by Sunday afternoon which the communique will be made known to chapters across the federation.
