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Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigerian
Federal Universities, on Tuesday, unanimously ordered immediate
re-opening of universities across the country.
The communiqué signed by the Chairman of
the Committee, Professor Kimse Okoko, was made available to newsmen
late Tuesday in Abuja.
The communiqué was issued at the end of
the committee meeting to discuss the protracted strike by Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU) and other issues affecting the Nigerian
university system.
The communiqué stated that the decision
to re-open the universities was unanimously agreed by all
pro-chancellors in the overall interest of all concerned.
The pro-chancellors, in the communique, directed all vice chancellors to comply with the committee decision.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the
decision of the pro-chancellors was predicated on the earlier referendum
held by various chapters of ASUU that voted 60-40 in favour of
suspension of the over four months old strike.
They expressed dismay that all efforts
to resolve the crisis, including the intervention of President Goodluck
Jonathan, has failed.
The communiqué recognised “all effort by
Federal Government to address the major issues involved in the strike
action including the bold and the supportive intervention by Mr
President.”
It also stated that the committee noted
“with satisfaction the outcome of the referendum conducted in all
branches of ASUU nationwide which voted 60-40 in favour of the
suspension of the ongoing strike by ASUU.”
The pro-chancellors called for the understanding of ASUU and indeed all staff of the various universities in Nigeria.
This order is coming on the heels of
polarisation that has already crept into the ASUU, following the meeting
they had with President Goodluck Jonathan penultimate week.
Nigerians were amazed that the emergency
National Executive Council meeting, held in Kaduna last weekend, came
out with fresh conditions for suspension of strike after it was rumoured
that a deal was struck with President Jonathan.
ASUU has been on strike since July 1 and
the NEC meeting was to deliberate on the resolutions of various
chapters of ASUU on whether the strike should be suspended or not based
on the offers by the government.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the
pro-chancellors were aggrieved that even when majority of the members of
ASUU want the strike called off, few elements in the union have refused
to yield to the popular desire of the members.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the
University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of ASUU, over its continued
participation in the ongoing strike action by the union’s national body,
worsened on Tuesday as the two factions in the crisis openly traded
insults.
The congress, called on Monday, saw a
sharp division in the chapter with a faction favouring a pull-out from
the strike action, giving a week ultimatum to open the institution.
The faction also promised undisclosed
further actions if the ultimatum was not met, after it held a separate
congress following the disruption of the earlier one.
Source: Tribune Newspaper
