After 82 days of embarking on strike to press home their demands, lecturers at the University of Abuja, Monday, announced suspension of their action.
The university’s chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, which announced the suspension at a news conference, explained that the suspension followed the union’s engagement with the new governing council, and secured assurance from the latter to review all its demands.
Recall that the university’s ASUU branch had on May 2, 2024, down-tool in protest against alleged violation of its established laws, including appointments and promotions of members of staff in the absence of a governing council.
Other issues were the illegal advertorial for vacancy of position of Vice-Chancellor by the then Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Alla’s administration, and recruitment without due Process.
However, the chapter chairperson, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, who spoke on behalf of the body, at the event held at the university’s campus, said the council had interface with the body and agreed to cancel the advert and republish a new one following due process.
Ugo added that the council also agreed to review the process of employment that the Union was against and review the issue of promotion, especially the one that was done in 2022/2023 exercise.
He said: “Within these 82 days we have been engaging with the former vice chancellor but he did not shift ground. He refused in his position to comply to the rules, he refused to comply to the act establishing the University and refused to obliged the process. After all procedures failed, the Union embarked on comprehensive and indefinite strike.
“Since the inauguration of the council, the Union has been engaging the council and the University administration but the good news is that the council, with the Union met last Thursday and they communicated in writing to the Union as touching the issues that bothered on the strike.
“The council wrote the Union and agreed to cancel the advert that was placed before now and re-advertise for the position of the vice Chancellor and that was actually the demand of the union.
The council also went ahead to agree with the Union to review the process of recruitment that was done without due process. According to the act, the process of employment staff in the University is clear, there must be an advert in the national Daily. These process were not followed so the council has agreed to review the process of the recruitment and get back to the Union.
Number three, the issue of promotion, council also agreed to review the promotion exercise especially the 2022/2023 promotion that was done.
“They also have mandated that the election into the position of deans of Facilities and provost college of health sciences be conducted.
“As for the position of director in the micro finance bank, the acting VC through the secretary of the bank has communicated the union for us to take our position in the board of directors.
So with this and also in honour of the new council and the acting vice Chancellor, the Union has reviewed the submission of the council and we just finished from the congress and congress unanimously resolved to suspend the strike so that the University administration will be able to look at these issues.”