Nigeria Universities Defies ASUU Strike And Reopens Institutions

The Nigerian Institutions have been on strike for the past six months due to the inability of ASUU and Federal Government to come to an agreement on the wage structure of lecturers.

Yet the management of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, has reopened the institution for academic activities, in defiance of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Union of Universities (ASUU) nationwide.

The management directed the students to resume academic activities on Monday, 29 August.

However, the ASUU chapter in EKSU says the management is on its own.

The EKSU chapter of ASUU had joined the six month-old strike following the demand by the union for the adequate funding of the universities and implementation of other reforms contained in an earlier agreement with the federal government.

Edward Olanipekun, Vice Chancellor of EKSU, had, last week, hinted that the institution would defy ASUU and reopen the university for academic work.

The President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, had also derided state-owned universities which are not on strike, and described them as “quacks.”

The universities are Kwara State University, Lagos State University (LASU), Osun State University, and lately, the Ekiti State University.

“When you are providing data, look at the background. Kwara State University is not a member of ASUU; Osun State University was suspended for its behavior, you can check, LASU you mentioned, we are in court with LASU because they sacked all our executives five years ago so they are not part of this struggle,” Mr Osodeke had said in a television interview last week.

The EKSU Vice Chancellor, told journalists in Ado- Ekiti on Saturday that the decision to reopen for classes was taken by key members of the institution.