ASUU strike may take new turn, as NUC orders VCs to reopen varsities, begin lectures

Vice chancellors have been instructed by the Federal Government to reopen institutions and for classes to resume by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

This information was provided in a letter written by Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the commission’s executive secretary, and signed by Sam Onazi, the NUC’s director of finance and accounts.
All vice chancellors, pro chancellors, and chairs of governing bodies at federal universities received the letter.

“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; Restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses”, the letter partly reads.

Recall that the national industrial court of Nigeria on Wednesday ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off its ongoing nationwide strike.

ASUU had been on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Several meetings between ASUU and the Federal Government have ended in a deadlock.

Consequently, the Federal Government went to court to challenge the strike.

The government through its counsel, James Igwe, prayed the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining ASUU from taking further steps as regards the strike, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Igwe on Wednesday prayed the court to order the striking varsity lecturers to in the interim, return to work, pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court.