ASUU strike: FUT MInna calls FG’s bluff

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna on Monday deliberated on the December 4 deadline given to them by the Federal Government to return to work, resolving not to back out of the on-going strike.
The University management had issued a statement directing all academic staff to sign in their names in a register opened in the office of the Registrar. But, ASUU also directed its members to ignore the directive.
“Following the directive by the Supervising Minister of Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike that universities should resume on or before Wednesday, December 4, 2013, the university has opened a register in the Office of the Registrar for all Academic staff to sign in their names on resumption of duty with effect from Monday, December 2, 2013”, the statement read.
The lecturers at the congress however, declared support for the letter sent by ASUU National Executive Committee (NEC) to President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that they will not suspend strike unless the conditions are met.
Briefing journalists after the congress on Monday, the Chairman of ASUU FUT Minna, Comrade Fatai Jimoh said that the threat by the federal government was laughable, stressing that they were not worried about such threat.
“It is shocking that a democratic government would issue threats like this. It is laughable; we are not worried or bothered about the threat. The Minister is not our employer so he cannot sack us.
“There are procedures for engaging and disengaging staff in the university. The Minister needs to be enlightened on the manner universities are run”, Jimoh said.
According to him, the congress also resolved that none of its member would sign any register opened by the university.
Jimoh therefore, appealed to parents and students to bear with ASUU, saying it is sincere in its struggle and that once they receive the reply to the letter sent to President Goodluck Jonathan, they would
act on it immediately.
He spoke further, “I want to appeal to parents and students of FUT Minna that our members will remain on strike and the strike will not be suspended until the directive from our national leaders. Parents should not send their children to campuses and endanger their lives because there will be no lectures or academic activities.”