curator
Administrator
Reactions on Friday continued to trail the Federal Government’s directive to lecturers in federal universities to resume teaching by Dec. 4 or lose their jobs.
The government had on Thursday directed all vice-chancellors of federal universities still on strike to re-open them for academic and allied activities.
It also directed the universities’ pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors to ensure that lecturers who resumed for work were provided with the enabling environment.
The government warned that any lecturer, who failed to resume on or before Dec. 4, would lose his job.
It also directed vice-chancellors to recruit lecturers to replace those who would fail to resume teaching.
The directive came as strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) almost reached five months.
ASUU is protesting Federal Government’s non implementation of an agreement it had with the union in 2009.
According to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, ASUU made fresh demands after a meeting that had President Goodluck Jonathan in attendance on Nov. 4.
He frowned at the action of ASUU and said that the government would not allow its public universities to continue to be closed.
Reacting to the development, the National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Michael Alogba-Olukoya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the development was worrisome.
He said: ``This new twist to ASUU strike is not the best thing to happen to our education sector at the moment.
``I feel that both government and ASUU must sheathe their swords in the interest of Nigerian students.
``I will like a situation where the arrears of the striking lecturers’ salaries are paid unconditionally; ASUU on its side should also try and shift some ground.”
According to the NUT leader, the fact that Jonathan, at some point, went into dialogue with ASUU for about 13 hours, calls for some understanding from both parties.
He said that it was unnecessary for the government to have come up with the directive shortly after it met with the leadership of ASUU.
``We must not forget that we are under a democratic dispensation and it is only fair that everyone enjoys it,” he said.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, National Publicity Secretary, National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, however said that the government directive was provoked by ASUU.
According to him, it is annoying that after the negotiation between the parties that had Jonathan in attendance, ASUU remains adamant.
``ASUU must try and reconsider its stand on the issue. Our children are going astray already, and a lot more are suffering and frustrated.
``Our male students have taken to loitering and other mischief, and our girls engaged in some unholy acts.
``Having said this, I feel the approach taken by the government is not right.
``The right approach would have been continuous negotiation,`` Ogunbanjo said.
He said that the education sector needed a lot of attention at the moment and that both parties must do things right.
Ogunbajo urged the government to find a way to honour the agreement it had with the lecturers as soon as possible and pay their arrears of salaries.
Also reacting, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, a former Education Minister, simply told NAN on telephone that the development was unfortunate.
The government had on Thursday directed all vice-chancellors of federal universities still on strike to re-open them for academic and allied activities.
It also directed the universities’ pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors to ensure that lecturers who resumed for work were provided with the enabling environment.
The government warned that any lecturer, who failed to resume on or before Dec. 4, would lose his job.
It also directed vice-chancellors to recruit lecturers to replace those who would fail to resume teaching.
The directive came as strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) almost reached five months.
ASUU is protesting Federal Government’s non implementation of an agreement it had with the union in 2009.
According to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, ASUU made fresh demands after a meeting that had President Goodluck Jonathan in attendance on Nov. 4.
He frowned at the action of ASUU and said that the government would not allow its public universities to continue to be closed.
Reacting to the development, the National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr Michael Alogba-Olukoya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the development was worrisome.
He said: ``This new twist to ASUU strike is not the best thing to happen to our education sector at the moment.
``I feel that both government and ASUU must sheathe their swords in the interest of Nigerian students.
``I will like a situation where the arrears of the striking lecturers’ salaries are paid unconditionally; ASUU on its side should also try and shift some ground.”
According to the NUT leader, the fact that Jonathan, at some point, went into dialogue with ASUU for about 13 hours, calls for some understanding from both parties.
He said that it was unnecessary for the government to have come up with the directive shortly after it met with the leadership of ASUU.
``We must not forget that we are under a democratic dispensation and it is only fair that everyone enjoys it,” he said.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, National Publicity Secretary, National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, however said that the government directive was provoked by ASUU.
According to him, it is annoying that after the negotiation between the parties that had Jonathan in attendance, ASUU remains adamant.
``ASUU must try and reconsider its stand on the issue. Our children are going astray already, and a lot more are suffering and frustrated.
``Our male students have taken to loitering and other mischief, and our girls engaged in some unholy acts.
``Having said this, I feel the approach taken by the government is not right.
``The right approach would have been continuous negotiation,`` Ogunbanjo said.
He said that the education sector needed a lot of attention at the moment and that both parties must do things right.
Ogunbajo urged the government to find a way to honour the agreement it had with the lecturers as soon as possible and pay their arrears of salaries.
Also reacting, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, a former Education Minister, simply told NAN on telephone that the development was unfortunate.