ASUU: We acted on court order, issues yet to be resolved

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) claimed that a court ruling and appeals from Nigerians were the reasons it ended its eight-month strike.

According to Emmanuel Osodeke, national president of the union, said “As you have seen from our press release although there were interventions by the speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and others; the major reason we are resuming is that we are obeying the industrial court’s judgement. The issues have not been fully resolved and no agreements signed,” the ASUU President said.

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“We are resuming because we are a law-abiding organisation and we don’t want to break the law. We are also hoping that the intervention of the Speaker as promised by him will resolve this problem within a very short time. So, the issues have not been resolved but we would resume because of that court injunction.”

“But one of the ministers, the Minister of Labour, believes that the best way is to force them to class. But because of the interest of the Nigerian people; the students, their parents, and the Speaker who is intervening our members will teach.”

He, however, said the lecturers may be unmotivated going back to class; especically if the “no-work, no-pay” policy of the Federal Government stands; maintaining that “you cannot expect a hungry man” to be at his best.

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To avoid this, the ASUU President said the government “should pay the salaries” to the varsity teachers whom he added have to “meet up” with the backlog of classes missed during the strike.