ASUU: UNN To Withhold Examination Results, Threatens Indefinite Strike

The University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Tuesday, protested the half-salary payment and the withheld eight-month salaries by Federal Government.

The union mandated lecturers of the university to withhold examination results and avoid participating in any department, faculty or senate council meetings for result approval until the government meets its demands. 

The Chairman of ASUU-UNN, Dr Christian Opata, speaking to journalists in Nsukka after the demonstration, said the congress aimed at getting its members' input on matters regarding the union.

“ASUU-UNN has directed its members not to release results of examinations conducted or participate in any department, faculty or Senate council meeting to approve results until the government does the needful.

“We will continue to teach but will not release results of any examination or allow the school senate to sit and approve any result.

“ASUU is saying no to the government policy of no work, no pay, but if the government insists on the policy, ASUU will not handle any academic activity that falls within that eight months period.

“ASUU wants the government to honour its agreement with the union since 2009 and stop further attempts that will keep students away from school,” he said.

Opata condemned the treatment of the union's members as mere labourers through the pro-rata payment.

“This is the first time in the history of this country when the university academic staff are paid as casual workers.

“An indication that the present administration in the country has no regard for education,” he said.

He further threatened that the national body of the union would soon resort to an indefinite strike if the government failed to do what is expected. 

“If the government thinks that implementing the policy of no work no pay and withholding our salary will prevent us from embarking on strike again, it’s a big lie.

“If the government failed to do the needful, very soon ASUU will return to indefinite nation wide strike in public universities,” Opata said.

The protest started from the Faculty of Social Science to the administrative block and to major roads in UNN.

Lecturers were seen holding placards with inscriptions such as; “We say no to intimidation by government”, ” kill education, kill the nation, “Our government does not honour agreement, and ” No pay no academic results, say no to pro-rata”.

Others included: “Pay us our salary backlogs, stop using pro-rata to pay us, lecturers are not casual workers “, Enough is enough, mother of all strike is loading” among others, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.