The strike called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja Branch has run into troubled waters as a group of other lecturers has vowed to continue lectures, because no consensus was reached to call an indefinite strike.
A faction of the union stepped back from the strike vowing to uphold the academic calendar.
Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, had earlier on Thursday called the indefinite action, but the new faction, which styles itself the
‘Anti-Strike ASUU members’, told the media and public to disregard Ugoh’s call.
They were led by a Dean and former convener, ASUU National Political Committee, Dr. Abubakar Kari. Also in the breakaway faction is the country’s former Ambassador to Japan and Head of Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Abuja, Prof. M. Y. Gana.
Kari said, “The cabal dictating to Dr. Sylvanus-led local ASUU desperately wanted a strike to satisfy their personal interests but never the larger interests of ASUU members and the University of Abuja.
“Members of ASUU here, standing for several other members with like minds but unavoidably absent, rise to reassure students, parents, and members of the public that we will protect the sanctity of the University of Abuja’s robust academic calendar and continue to work for continuous opening of university operations.
“We vehemently demand that ASUU must work for ASUU and not a hidden cabal out to take the University of Abuja back to the inglorious yesteryears.
“A decision to go on an indefinite strike without, at any point, seeking members of ASUU’s vote for or against is absolutely not the ASUU procedure for calling strike.
“So, the so-called strike remains unrepresentative of the larger members of ASUU and cannot stand.”