According to information on our news desk, the management of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the institution are currently playing a hide-and-seek game with the directive by the Minister of Education for the striking lecturers to resume teaching or be sacked.
According to the news received, the local chapter of the union is however distributing relief materials to its members, which we guess they used to make their members strong and keep up with the fight against federal government, which they’re using to cushion the effect of the lack of payment of salary for the past five months, also, there are pressures on some of the lecturers from their family members to respond positively to the government ultimatum, because they had almost spend all their money within the past 6 months.
When the DSN Nigeria correspondent visited the academic institution on Wednesday, the school was still empty as the lecturers were yet to comply with the directive, and also, our correspondent was also able to note that university was yet to issue a circular directing the resumption of lectures by the students.
We were also able to gather that the Ahmadu Bello University Governing Council has been meeting since Monday to find a common ground and an amicable resolution of the impasse which is being placed on them either by themselves or by the directives from federal government.
A source who was closed to the management board also revealed that the council is trying to ensure that the strike is resolved amicably so that we will not have another strike locally when the national strike is called off.
The source also revealed this and we quote him: “you see, majority of those people in the governing Council are elected members from the Senate and the Congregation. Ordinarily, those people are not supposed to attend the meeting as long as the strike is on. But ASUU looked the other way so that they will attend the meeting.
“They met on Monday and could not reach any resolution and had to adjourn. The meeting has since resume. But I want to say that they are being careful in carrying out the directive because they are aware of the impact it will have.
“In any case, the school was never closed. Students are enjoying all the privileges they are supposed to enjoy except the absence of lectures. But the question is, who will bring the lecturers to come and teach?
“Even if the school was closed, the only body that is empowered by law to reopen the school is the Senate of the University. In view of the period that has been wasted, a new calendar has to be drawn up and it is the Senate that will do that and members of the Senate are members of ASUU. So, who will draw up that calendar?
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