ASUU STRIKE: LECTURERS DEFY FG'S ORDER •Fracas as ASUU officials clash with lecturer in UNIBEN

MOST of the lecturers across the universities in the country, on Monday, defied the directive of the Federal Government to resume academic activities at various campuses in the country.
The Federal Government had directed all federal universities to end the six-month-old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and resume work on Monday.
This came as there was a division among lecturers at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), over whether to resume work or not.
The near free-for-all was avoided when members of the institution’s chapter of ASUU attempted to stop a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Dr Godspower Ekhobase, from lecturing on Monday.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that trouble started after Dr Ekhobase refused to listen to the directive given by the institution’s ASUU chapter, leading to a fracas.
The UNIBEN ASUU officials, led by its chairman, Dr Tony Emina-Monye, were said to have retreated after the lecturer was joined by the few students in class.
Dr Monye, however, said on phone that the lecturer behaved violently, adding that he broke his eye-glasses and ruffled his cloth.
He also said Dr Godspower also gripped the shirt of a former UNIBEN ASUU chairman.
The ASUU chairman,  however, said they would not be deterred by the sack threat, as none of them would teach the students, who resumed for academic activities.
The ASUU officials also clashed with some policemen, who were reportedly invited to the institution by the Vice Chancellor, Professor  Osayuki Godwin Oshodin, to keep peace.
Meanwhile, at least 30 lecturers in the Faculty of Law of the institution have already indicated interest to commence lectures as they had signed the register opened for them.
Most of the lecturers refused comments, but one of them, who pleaded anonymity, said they decided to resume because they were unhappy with the approach to the strike by ASUU.
He said ASUU should have called off the strike after the intervention by President Goodluck Jonathan.
When contacted on phone, the public relations officer of the institution, Mr Harris Osarenren, could not be reached for comments.
Meanwhile, lecturers in Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, Adamawa State, resolved to continue with the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by members of ASUU.
ASUU chairman, Mr Augustine Ndaghu, made the disclosure in Yola, on Monday, in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Ndaghu said majority of the more than 300 members of the union in the university, who attended the latest meeting, voted overwhelmingly for continuation of the strike.
ASUU Chairman of Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi, Mr Molem Ishaku, on Monday, said lecturers in the institution had also agreed to continue the strike.
He said “in the first place, it was not the government that told us to go on strike and, therefore, it should not insist that we must go back to work.”
Commenting on the development, the Protocol and Information Officer of MAUTECH, Malam Mustafa Migawa, said based on the directive of the government, forms had been sent to various departments of the school to be filled by lecturers who wished to resume work.
When NAN visited MAUTECH  and ADSU, the campuses were empty, as students boycotted the campuses.
At the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, lecturers also resolved to continue with the six-month-old strike.
ASUU chairman in the institution, Dr Faruk Tambuwal, told NAN in Sokoto, on Monday, that “our position on the strike remains the same and the strike continues.”
This came as the university management opened registers in the two campuses of the institution, as contained in a statement issued by the registrar, Alhaji Kakale Jabo.
In Kano, lecturers of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), on Monday, refused to return to work.
NAN reported that none of the lecturers resumed work at both the old and new site of the university and most offices remained locked.
A security guard at the Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, who spoke on condition of anonymity at the new site, said none of the lecturers reported to work as of 11.00 a.m.
When contacted on phone, the ASUU chairman, Dr Mahmoud Lawal, said the lecturers would not return to work until their demands were met.
Also, a visit by the Nigerian Tribune to the institution showed that all classrooms and hostels were shut, while non-academic staff were running skeletal services at the new site of the institution.
At Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the story was the same, as lecturers also defied Federal Government’s directive to return to class.
NAN reported that all the lecture halls and offices remained closed on Monday, as no lecturer was seen at the Samaru and Kongo campuses.
When contacted, Dr Mohammed Kabir-Aliyu, the chairman of ASUU, ABU chapter, said the union did not call off the ongoing strike.
It was the same story at University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), as lecturers there also stayed away from school, with lecture theatres remained closed.
A visit by NAN to the university campus in Maiduguri on Monday showed that academic halls were empty.
Dr Musa Abdullahi, the university’s ASUU chairman, in a statement in Maiduguri, said  the strike would continue until the demands of the union were met.
However, Malam Ahmed Mohammed, the institution’s chief information officer, told NAN that the authorities were waiting to hear from ASUU before taking a decision.
Lecturers at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, also refused to resume to work on Monday.
Alhaji Zailani Bappa, the Principal Public Relations Officer of the university, however, said the lecturers were expected to resume tomorrow and not Monday.
He said the decision to ask the lecturers to resume tomorrow came up after the Senate held a meeting on December 5.
He added that by the end of Wednesday, the council would decide on the next line of action.
Lecturers at the University of Ibadan (UI) also defied government’s directive on Monday, as the resumption register was not even opened.
Although some members of the academic staff union were seen in their offices, claiming to be working on some researches, most of them said they were not going to sign any register.
The ASUU branch, in a message to its members, said “dear member, stay calm and remain resolute. There is nothing wrong in asking government to do what it says it will do immediately. ASUU is not making any new demands.
“Government is only repeating a one act play scripted by the IBB dictatorship in early 90s. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now! All branches are intact. We cannot be intimidated!! Do not sign any register. United we bargain, divided we beg!!!”
Investigations around some faculties of Social Sciences, Education, Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences indicated the resolve of the lecturers not to sign any register, as no resumption register was opened.
Speaking on the strike, the national treasurer of ASUU, Dr Ademola Aremu, said lecturers were not labourers that could be humiliated by government.
Aremu, who noted that the strike was still fully on course nationwide, added that Information Minister, Mr Labaran Maku, lied that it had released N45 billion to universities as earned allowances.
The ASUU national officer noted that it was a lie that lecturers had started lecturing at FUTA, saying that the vice chancellor of the institution reportedly went to class with security around him.
Lecturers and students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB) and the state-owned Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, shunned the directive to resume on Monday.
When the  visited FUNNAB on Monday, only non-academic staff were see at their duty posts, while classrooms and library were empty.
The ASUU chairman , FUNNAB branch, Dr Abiodun Badmus, said the union could not be caged, while he described the directive as “empty threat and of no effect.”
Badmus insisted that the Federal Government must do the needful, saying that the union remained committed to the struggle.
It was the same situation at OOU campus, as the students and the lecturers failed to resume.
There was no end in sight to the strike at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, as the institution chapter of ASUU enjoined the Federal Government to halt the continued blackmail and subterfuge and sign the memorandum of understanding before the strike could be called off.
The union, in a press release issued and signed by its chairman, Dr Emmanuel Mordi, on Monday, enjoined students to disregard all radio, television, and newspaper announcements inviting them back to class, saying no lecturer worth his or her onions would return to class at gunpoint.
According to  ASUU-DELSU, members, as lecturers of integrity, would not teach until all issues in dispute in the current industrial crisis were amicably resolved.
The union reiterated that lectures would only resume when the Federal Government demonstrated good faith, transparency and integrity.
The Lagos State University (LASU) and University of Lagos (UNILAG) called the Federal Government’s bluff,  threatening to sack lecturers who failed to resume their jobs before or on Monday.
Visiting lecture halls on the two campuses, Nigerian Tribune gathered that no lecture had commenced, as classrooms remained locked and empty.
LASU was virtually void of students and the few lecturers found on the campus were there for personal reasons.
UNILAG had more presence of students but, when asked, none of them were on campus to receive lectures, with a few admitting that they came to pack their things and resume school next year.
It was gathered that the Unilag management has posted a resumption date for all students and lecturers on its website, scheduled for January 6.
Speaking with Dr Micheal Ogbeide of UNILAG on Monday, he confirmed that the school management had released a revised school year calendar, with all students expected to resume by January 6.
“Students are required to finish up on their registration, course forms and all order things in readiness for commencement of lectures, after which, the university goes on a break from Decemeber 22 and resumes January 6,” he said.
According to a reliable source, who pleaded anonymity, even if lecturers in UNILAG had not resumed classroom work, several lecturers in the school had signed the register as directed by the Federal Government.
The source added that although lecturers were claiming not to resume work until ASUU called of the strike nationally, they were, in truth, scared of losing their jobs.
The amended timetable on UNILAG website indicated that December 2 to 15 was for completion of registration for old and new students; December 23 to January 5 for Christmas and New Year break; January 6 to 24, conclusion of lectures; January 25 to February 8, examination in all faculties , while the session ends February 15.
Efforts to reach both the UNILAG and LASU ASUU chairmen, Drs Karo Ogbinaka and Adekunle Idris, failed, as both did not pick up calls put through to their phones.
The striking academic staff of Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna), on Monday, refused to comply with the December 9 ultimatum given by the Federal Government to return to work.
At the close of work on Monday,  none of the members of the union in the university had appended signature on the register opened by the registrar of the institution since December 2.
Visits to the two campuses of the university by the Nigerian Tribune further indicated  that classrooms, lecture theatres, laboratories, workshops and studios at Bosso and Gidan Kwano areas of Minna were under lock and key.
It was further gathered that unlike the previous weeks that some lecturers were seen in their offices, most offices were locked on Monday,  in compliance with congress decision to keep away from the campuses from December 9.
Efforts to get the registrar to speak on the matter as of the time of filing the report failed,as she was said to be in a meeting.
The branch chairperson of ASUU, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, said that the union was determined in its decision not to sign the register or return to work until the Federal Government met its demands.
Meanwhile, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), on Monday, continued normal academic activities, in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive.
At AAUA, the public relations officer, Mr Victor Akinpelumi, said both students and lecturers had resumed in the school since the last two weeks.
Authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) fixed January 5 as resumption date.
The statement by the institution, signed by the registrar, Dr Modupe Ajayi, said the date was chosen after considering the Christmas and New Year holidays.
But the leadership of the ASUU in the university could not be reached, as calls put to the phone of the chairman were not picked.

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