ASUU Strike: NLC Offers To Intervene As ASUU defies FG’s Directive.

The latest news update on the 2013 ASUU Strike is that the NLC has
moved and offered to intervene in the deadlock between ASUU and FG.
The Federal Government has directed ASUU to go back to work or lose
their jobs. ASUU has responded by saying it is an empty threat and no
one could intimidate them into calling off the strike unless demands
are met.
Read the full details of the latest ASUU Strike news update below:
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has began another move to intervene
in the impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
and the Federal Government.
Mr Chris Uyot, the Acting General Secretary of the union, told the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the union had
written a letter to the Presidency.
"The leadership of NLC has written a letter to the Presidency seeking
leave to intervene in the crisis which is now in its sixth month.
"We have sent a letter to the presidency today, Dec. 9. We want to
intervene in this matter.
"The turn of events is causing a lot of disaffection which can easily
be resolved, that is if the government is willing to talk about it,"
Uyot said.
Uyot said that NLC President Abdulwahed Omar met with the leadership
of ASUU in Abuja as a preliminary step to articulate their position
before meeting with the Presidency when invited.
It will be recalled that NLC and the Trade Union Congress led the ASUU
team to the Presidential Villa on Nov. 4 in a 13- hour closed-door
meeting with the president.
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Universities defy FG directive to resume classes
Lecturers in Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola,
have resolved to continue with the ongoing nationwide strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Federal Government had directed all federal universities to end
the six-month-old strike and resume work on Monday.
The university's ASUU Chairman, Mr Augustine Ndaghu, made the
disclosure on Monday in Yola in a telephone interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Ndaghu said majority of the more than 300 members of the union in the
university who attended the latest meeting voted overwhelmingly for
continuation of the strike.
He said "with this development, our members will not respond to the
government's directive to resume work.
"In fact, none of our members has signed the register to resume work.
"Ours is a peaceful strike as far as nobody will attempt to force us
back to class to go and teach.''
The ASUU Chairman of Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi, Mr Molem
Ishaku, said lecturers in the institution had also agreed to continue
the strike.
He said "in the first place, it was not the government that told us to
go on strike and therefore it should not insist that we must go back
to work.''
Commenting on the development, the Protocol and Information Officer of
MAUTECH, Malam Mustafa Migawa, said the university had received
Federal Government circular regarding the opening of the university
and had commenced implementation.
Migawa said forms had been sent to the various departments of the
school to be filled by lecturers who wish to resume work.
He added that "I can't say how many lecturers have filled the forms
signifying their interest to resume work now.
"We shall wait and see if the response of the lecturers is positive or
not, and that will prompt the school management's next line of
action.''
Meanwhile, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who visited
MAUTECH and ADSU reports that the campuses were empty, as there were
no students.
The story is the same at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, as
the lecturers also resolved to continue with the six-month old strike.
The ASUU Chairman in the institution, Dr Faruk Tambuwal, told NAN on
Monday in Sokoto that "our position on the strike remains the same and
the strike continues.
"This is in disregard to the Dec. 10 ultimatum given by the Federal
Government for us to resume work or be sacked.''
He said the union held its congress meeting on Dec. 3 and members
resolved to continue with the strike.
Tambuwal added that "it was also resolved at the meeting that nobody
will sign any register.
"The sack threat is an empty one and it is not going to work because
union members are still insisting on the payment of the salary arrears
and inclusion of the non-victimisation clause in ASUU's recent
agreement with the Federal Government, among others.''
Meanwhile, the university's management had opened registers in the two
campuses of the institution, as contained in a statement issued by the
Registrar, Alhaji Kakale Jabo.
The statement quoted the registrar as saying "the salaries of members
of the union were stopped since September, in line with the no-work,
no-pay policy.