Strike imminent in varsities

Clement Idoko, Abuja - 12.02.2008

A fresh crisis in the nation’s universi- ties is imminent if nothing is done quickly to address the issue of the sacked lecturers of the University of Ilorin.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Abdullahi Sule-Kano, gave this indication on Monday in Abuja when he led a procession to the office of the Minister of Education, Igwe Aja-Nwachuku, with a letter for delivery to the President for immediate reinstatement of the lecturers.

The union displayed several placards with inscriptions such as: “We Demand the Reinstatement of the 49 Unjustly Sacked Unilorin Lecturers; “Democracy is Impossible without Justice”; “FG, Respect ILO Ruling on Unilorin 49”; “Delayed Justice Killed Three Unilorin Lecturers,” amongs other.

In an address at the procession, the ASUU president said it was unfortunate to see a country competing to become one of the 20 best economies by 2020 sacking some of the best professors in the land. According to him, the lecturers, numbering over 200 came together from different universities to submit the letter of protest to the President for not honouring one of his promises which led to the suspension of last ASUU’s strike.

Sule-Kano, while presenting the letter to the minister, said initially, there was no disagreement on the negotiating table, but the union had been concerned about the inability of the government to honour the agreement up till now.