Ojukwu Varsity Lecturers Boycott School Resumption

By David-Chyddy Eleke

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Anambra State branch, have said they will not return to the university to carry out their duties as academic activities resume in the institution.

The Chairman of the university’s chapter of ASUU, Prof. Okey Aniebo, who addressed journalists, advised parents not to bother bringing their children to the institution as it would be a waste of time.

“The congress of ASUU-COOU resolved today to sustain the union’s struggle. ASUU members are therefore not part of the planned resumption of academic activities in the university as announced by COOU management.

“ASUU members will not engage in any form of teaching, examinations, supervisions and statutory meetings within the pendency of the national industrial action. No amount of threat will deter the union from prosecuting this selfless and reasonable course of action to get government do the needful in public universities in Nigeria.

“ASUU-COOU is therefore using this opportunity to inform students that her members will not resume academic activities on September 21, 2020. Parents are by this being advised to withhold their wards from returning to the university while the industrial action is still on because this will give them an opportunity to engage in nefarious activities.”

The group stated a number of reasons for its action, insisting that contrary to insinuations that it is on a solidarity strike with the national ASUU, it decided to down tools because of lack of basic learning aids in the institution and non- payment of some allowances to its members.

Meanwhile, the Vice- Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Greg Nwakoby has debunked the claims by lecturers, insisting that the institution will go ahead with resumption and academic activities.

“First is that it is not all our students that are coming back to school. It is only those who have exams and students of exiting classes that are coming back. Secondly, we are not hesitating in resuming schools. This is government directive and we are following it.

“I will not respond to the imaginary view of the ASUU people who are just out to tarnish the image of the university. If they are on strike or not, the university must exist. We can do without them. You should have asked yourself why only about 41 out of 600 lecturers told you they will not resume? ASUU is on strike because of IPPIS, and we are not running IPPIS here, so why are they going on strike?”