ASUU-LASU chief debunks rift within lecturers

Some lecturers at the Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo on Friday defied the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by commencing lectures.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) checks at the university’s faculties showed that lectures were held by some lecturers in the Faculties of Social Sciences, Management Sciences and Arts.

Prof. Olatunji Abanikanda of the Department of Zoology, told NAN that he had began lecturing since June 26, in compliance with the newly-approved 2013/2014 academic calendar of the university.

“The lecture I just took is Bio-statistics with code Bio 303 and there are about 80 students in attendance, which I notified through the social media.

“Though ASUU is on strike but we must recognise that I am first of all, an academic before becoming an ASUU member.

“I hate strike because it disrupts even my personal advancement and I cannot watch myself waste away.’’

Abanikanda said there was no need to continue the strike since the fee hike, which was the core demand of the three demands of the union, had been reduced.

“Some lecturers in the Faculty of Management Sciences and Social Sciences, had also started lectures,” he said.

Meanwhile, the union’s Chairman, Dr Adekunle Idris, said the development was a plot by the management to break the ongoing strike.

Idris said there was no division within the union and that Prof. Abanikanda is the Director of External System, which made him a management staff.

“As a management staff, he was showing loyalty to the management.”

According to Idris, the union’s staff strength is about 720 and the generality and core members of the union are fully on strike.

“If you go round the campus, you will see that activities are still grounded because the generality of the union are still on strike,” he said.

Idris confirmed that ASUU-LASU would remain on strike until congress decided otherwise and its remaining two demands were met.

He said the union had no problem with the newly-released academic calendar as it was the decision of the management and cannot break the ongoing strike.

Mr Kayode Sutton, the university’s Public Relations Officer, told NAN that some lecturers had started signing the attendance registers, opened in various faculties and departments.

Sutton said no fewer than 27 lecturers signed the register in the Faculty of Social Sciences, seven in Science and many more in other faculties.

“Among those who have resumed and signed the register, is Prof. Hakeem Bombata of Fisheries Department, who lectured Bio 309 on June 26,” he said.

NAN further reports that ASUU-LASU had embarked on an indefinite strike since May 20, to press some demands from the university authorities and the State Government.

The demands of the union include, the repeal of the ‘no vacancy, no promotion’ policy and reduction in tuition fees.

Other demands are the implementation of the University Miscellaneous Provision (Amendment) Act of 2012. (NAN)
source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/asuu-lasu-chief-debunks-rift-within-lecturers/

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