The poly lecturers had embarked on industrial action two months ago over the Federal Government’s failure to implement agreements reached with the union in 2017.
Addressing journalists at the end of its national executive council (NEC) emergency meeting yesterday in Abuja, the president, Usman Dutse, directed members to commence academic activities immediately.
He said the strike was called off due to the progress made in negotiations with government. “The NEC of the union, after exhaustive deliberations and in due consultations with respective congresses across the nation, resolved to suspend the current industrial action.”
He noted that the suspension was on the condition that government commits to a reviewed memorandum of action to concretise the resolutions and ensure its full implementation by end of May 2019, failing which the union should resume the action at its discretion.
Dutse explained that the union withdrew the services of its members since December 12, 2018 to press home a resolution of several lingering issues undermining the smooth running of the sector.
Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA) chapter has concluded arrangements to resume its suspended strike until pending issues are addressed by the state government.
In a statement yesterday, shortly after a meeting at the university’s multipurpose hall, the union’s chairperson, Dr. Ibrahim Wawata, said that “after the suspension of the nationwide strike by ASUU, the KSUSTA branch is likely to resume its earlier suspended strike action of March/April 2018,” pending successful implementation of the agreement reached by the tripartite committee comprising government representatives led by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Mukhtar Bunza, the university management and ASUU representatives.
He further stated that on April 1, 2018, the committee had signed a Memorandum of Action (MoA), yet nothing was done in that regard.
Bunza wondered how a government that boasts of supporting education could turn out to neglect funding of its only university which trains the highest number of its indigent students.
The union called on stakeholders with genuine interest towards educational development of the state to plead with the government to do the needful, to avert crisis.
