By: Our Reporter
Lecturers at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA) under the school chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) today officially down tools following the directive by the National body of the association to embark on a month warning strike; SUNSHINETRUTH can report.
The Chairman of the chapter, Prof. Yinka Awopetu, who disclosed this to newsmen after the congress of the union said the FUTA branch domesticated the decision of the national body after the congress of the chapter and directed all academic staff of universities to withdraw their services immediately.
Following the pronouncement of FUTA ASUU on the strike, academic and social activities of the school has been paralysed while most of the students appealed to government and the lecturers to resolve the crisis amicably.
Some of the students were seen loitering around, in the absence of lectures and lecture rooms literally deserted, as the lecturers complied with the strike directive.
However speaking, Awopetu said the strike became necessary following the failure of government to honour the memorandum of action signed with the union in 2019.
He said the Federal Government has intentionally ignored the agreement with the union, saying until the demands are met, no member would return to class.
The Chairman said “The National body of ASUU declares strikes and ends strike but each branch must come back home and domesticate it and that is what we have just done today, so from today in FUTA, the strike has fully commenced.
“It is not a warning strike as some people are calling it but a total and comprehensive strike, though definite, it has a time, it is for one month and it will be reviewed later and we will know how to go about it”
He noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the Federal Government to honour the agreement with ASUU.
According to Awopetu, the union should not be blamed for the incessant industrial action, saying all the cries by member of the public condemning the union should be laid at the doorsteps of the Federal Government.
He said “What exactly is becoming too much? The strike was suspended in November because of such cries by the parents and yet the federal government did not do anything and they are now saying it is too much.
“They should face the Federal Government and urge the Federal Government to do the needful. Everything promised had not been fulfilled, while some of them are fulfilled partially, some not even touched at all. So I don’t know what they mean by it is too much.”
Awopetu however, maintained that strike will be reviewed after one month said the strike would not be called off without a concrete resolution.
