[ad_1]
Niger Delta University (NDU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vowed to continue with the ongoing nationwide strike led by the union’s national leadership to its logical conclusion.
The ASUU-NDU has, therefore, rejected moves by the Bayelsa State government to have the university’s lecturers pull out of the seven-month-old industrial action and resume academic activities.
At a meeting on September 2 between the management team of the state-owned institution, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Samuel Edoumiekumo, and the chapter’s executive members, the union expressed its viewpoint.
The meeting was called by the institution’s governing council in response to Governor Douye Diri’s order that the lecturers end their protracted strike and return to the classroom, according to a statement released on Friday and signed by the chairman and secretary of ASUU-NDU, Tonbara Kingdom and Ebi Baraka.
“At the meeting, we communicated to the university administration Congress’ decision to carry the industrial action out to its logical end. This is founded on the idea that there is a widespread struggle for the public university system’s very existence.
“We boldly assert that despite being a public university, NDU has advanced thus far thanks to the fruits of ASUU battles, including the TETFund, NEEDS intervention, etc.
“We are more determined than ever to continue with this action,” the statement continued, “driven also by our foresight and deep understanding of the systematically designed policy of the ruling class to destroy public universities, aimed at foreclosing children of the masses from access to university education.”
Parents of students who were impacted by the strike were asked by the union to join ASUU in its fight and recognize that public universities would soon cease to exist without such sacrifice.
The union claims that parents should be aware that there are still children in elementary and secondary schools who want to attend college, and that their goal can only come true if there are still public colleges.
It praised the governor for voicing his concern about the suffering brought on by “a failed government, contrary to its pledges previous to taking the reins of power; however, the Congress of ASUU-NDU cannot acquiesce to the request to pull out of the strike.”
Content created and supplied by: Ganandaji (via Opera
News )
[ad_2]
