80% of ASUU members want strike to continue

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and labour leaders at the meeting to resolve issues with the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday, 10th December, 2018

Eighty per cent of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have voted for the continuation of the ongoing nationwide strike.

This was reached at a referendum held at the Oyo State chapter of the Union, in Ibadan, where 200 members voted in agreement, while only 50 people voted to end the strike.

Speaking after the referendum, the Chairman of the University of Ibadan Chapter of ASUU, Deji Omole said the referendum was conducted to know if the union should end the strike or not.

He affirmed that members voted for the continuation of the strike because the government was yet to meet all of its demand.

EduCeleb.com recalls that the union had been on strike over issues pertaining to the revitalisation of universities. Nine negotiation meetings held between ASUU and representatives of the Nigerian government had not successfully addressed some of the concerns of the Union.

The union is demanding at least, N50billion but the government said it had released only N25billion, saying it does not have N50billion.

Speaking after the last meeting, Chris Ngige, Minister for Labour and Employment said, “We have met it halfway. We have offered what we have; we don’t have N50 billion.”

Another meeting is billed to hold on Thursday, 7th February between both parties.

In another development, EduCeleb.comreported that the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for the immediate sack of education minister, Adamu Adamu over his inability to resolve issues that led to the ongoing strike by both ASUU and its counterparts in polytechnics, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).