* Unizik, FUTA join strike
*House invites union leaders
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, James Sowole in Akure, and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
For the first time in 20 years, the first semester examinations at the University of Ilorin were yesterday suspended following a two-week warning strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) of the university.
However, to avert major crisis in the university, the House of Representatives yesterday invited the leadership of ASUU over the ongoing two-week warning strike by members of the union.
The lawmakers also invited the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige; and Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, during plenary after a motion of urgent public importance was raised by Hon. Dachung Bagos.
The lawmaker said there was an urgent need for the House to intervene in the face-off between the Federal Government and ASUU over the IPPIS and other underlying issues.
Meanwhile, the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State have also joined the warning strike called by the national leadership of the union at its emergency meeting held in Enugu state between March 7 and 9.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin shortly after the emergency meeting of the union held at the main auditorium of the university, the Chairman of ASUU, Professor Moyosore Ajao said that, the decision to join the national directive on the strike was the outcome of the congress of the lecturers.
According to him, “the ongoing first semester examinations would be put at stop and no lecturers of the institution should participate in the examinations henceforth”.
He said that, “all the lecturers should abide with the directive and anyone found culpable would be sanctioned”.
He said, ‘’the strike is total in university of Ilorin, we are joining the strike and our members are excited because nobody has the right to take our salary for granted.
“Nothing lasts forever; we are in a new dawn; whatever has a beginning must have an end. Its an irony of life that I will lead strike in Unilorin after 20 years, and I have no regret about that.”
The Chairman of the FUTA branch of ASUU, Dr. Olayinka Awopetu yesterday said his members would comply fully with the warning strike directive from today (Wednesday).
Awopetu in a telephone interview, said lecturers in the university, would stop going to classes after the end of the FUTA ASUU branch Congress holding today.
Also Unizik branch of ASUU has also joined in the nationwide warning strike of the body.
The Chairman of the institution’s chapter of ASUU, Comrade Stephen Ufoaro while addressing members during a congress to commence the warning strike at the multipurpose hall of the institution yesterday, said the strike became imperative, since federal government has failed to reached a logical conclusion to their demands.
He told his colleagues that the strike is followed the decision of the federal government to stop salaries of lecturers who have not enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
