ASUU Strike: OAU management, Non-teaching staff react to division among lecturers.

Alfred Olufemi 

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University has declared that students should disregard the directives of the OAU chapter of Academic Staff Union of universities (ASUU), that the students should vacate the campus.

Through the OAU ASUU Chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, the chapter, after a meeting held on Tuesday, declared a total strike in compliance with the nation-wide industrial action declared its national body.

"We love our students and they should go home because we don't want them to be victims of whatever action that will accompany the strike," Mr. Egbedokun said.

It should be recalled that the ASUU President, Biodun Ogunyemi, on Sunday, gave poor funding for Revitalisation of Public Universities based on the FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Understanding
of 2012, 2013, and the Memorandum of Action of 2017, as the main reason for the industrial action.

"The strike is total and comprehensive i. No teaching, No examination, and No attendance
at statutory meetings of any kind (Senate, Council, College/Faculty Departmental
Boards etc)." He said in a release.

OAU KILONSHELE also reported the division among OAU lecturers on whether or not to join the Industrial action. While members of ASUU are in support, lecturers under the aegis of Congress of Nigerian Universities' Academics (CONUA) are against it.

According to the University's Registrar, Margaret Omosule, in a release issued  on Tuesday, there
are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end year holidays.

"Wish to assure all students that the University Academic Calendar
for the 2017/2018 Academic Session is very much on course. There
are no plans to compel students to vacate the campus until the end of
year holidays and all members of the University community must be
unanimous in the resolution to ensure that the Calendar remains
sacrosanct."

"The University Management therefore enjoins all students and staff to
continue theit normal activities in line with the University's approved
guidelines," the Registrar noted.

However, OAU KILONSHELE gathered that some lecturers have refused to attend lectures and some who attended were sent out on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Nigerian University and administrative and technical staff Union (NUATSU), Wole Odewumi, said that the non-teaching staff members are not against the strike action declared by ASUU.

"it's because we've not received anything from our national body. We can also join because unions should be able to make their demands and grievances known without being victimised. We strongly support the ASUU Strike."

"Hopefully, before the week runs out, we can as well solidarise with ASUU in a sympathy protest," Mr. Odewumi stated

Also, the Chairman of CONUA, Niyi Sumonu, restated the stance of the union against embarking on the industrial action declared by ASUU.

"Our members are not under ASUU so they can't be part of the strike. We were not approached on the issue and cannot be part of the strike. Our members still respect statutory duties."

When asked about some of the CONUA lecturers, who were stopped by ASUU members from attending lectures, Mr. Sumonu denied the knowledge of such.

"I don't have such information with me now," He told OAU KILONSHELE.