ASUU strike Update: We’ll shut primary and secondary schools —NUT •Students protest in Kano •Strike to continue until ... —ASUU

 THE leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has vowed to ground both primary and secondary schools in the country if the Federal Government fails to resolve its feud with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as soon as possible.

NUT president, Michael Olukoya, speaking at a news conference in Abuja, on Thursday, said the solidarity strike would be total, as teachers across the country were being mobilised.
He said though primary and secondary schools had just resumed from vacation, NUT would not hesitate to send the children back home until the Federal Government honoured the agreement reached with the lecturers.
He said this was part of the resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union on Thursday, called to deliberate on the state of the nation and to ready arrangements for the celebration of the forthcoming 2013 World Teachers Day holding on October 5.
The teachers also demanded, among other things, that the National Assembly should, in the process of the ongoing constitution review, remove primary education away from the ambit of local governments in Nigeria.
“Both primary and secondary schools will be shut in totality if the Federal Government does not or continue to fail to respect the agreement it entered with ASUU.
“We cannot continue to claim that we are giant in Africa when our children leave to  Cotonou that is not up to Oyo State to receive university education.
“At this point, we wish to register our strong solidarity and sympathy with our professional brothers in the universities, in their struggle not just for improved condition of service but for the return of quality education in the universities through appropriate funding and provision of infrastructural facilities.
“We also sympathise with our students in these universities who are at the receiving end of this unending conflict of two titans — ASUU and Federal Government.
“The current struggle of ASUU is most nationalistic, patriotic and self-sacrificing. We commend our university teachers for remaining solid and unmovable in the face of all threats,” he said.
Olukoya equally called on the Federal Government to demonstrate responsiveness and similar patriotism by granting the demands of ASUU which, he said, were “reasonable, just and fair.”
He also expressed regrets that Kogi, Benue and Cross River states had remained recalcitrant on the implementation of the N18,000 national minimum wage and payment of 27.5 per cent enhanced allowance to their teachers.
Olukoya, however, said while teachers in Kogi were currently on strike over minimum wage and 27.5 per cent allowance, the Benue State government had refused to pay minimum wage to teachers in primary schools.
On primary school management, Olukoya maintained that while the teachers were not opposed to local government autonomy, “its financial responsibility to primary education should be built into consolidated account of the federation, for the benefit of first-line charge to primary education.”
He added that the lost glory of quality education would continue to elude the nation until the country rose to improve on the quality of lives and work of teachers.
BUK students protest in Kano
Hundreds of students of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), on  Thursday, staged a peaceful protest and gave the Federal Government one week ultimatum to meet with all the demands of ASUU or face the wrath of Nigerian students.
Making the assertion on Thursday, while addressing other students at BUK gate, the students union president, Sani Ibrahim, said they were compelled  to stage the protest “because we are tired of staying at home.”
It, however, took the prompt intervention of police officers dispatched from Bompai police headquarters to restrict the rampaging students.
According to the students, “we are giving ASUU and the Federal Government one week to sort things out and resume lectures, otherwise, Nigerian students will look for other alternatives to fight for our rights. Education is our right and no one can take it away from us.”
They insisted that the two parties in the dispute should come to the negotiation table and settle their scores for the interest of Nigerian students.

Strike to continue until ... —ASUU
The Ibadan zone of ASUU has said the 12-week nationwide strike would continue unabated until the Federal Government fully implements its demands as stated in the 2009 agreement entered into by both parties.
In a release signed by the acting zonal coordinator, Dr Karo Ogbinaka, on behalf of member-institution in the zone, comprising Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states, made available to newsmen on Thursday, “ASUU is assuring Nigerians that it will not back out on its struggle for the emancipation of our people, as it would ensure the government is made to do what is right in the education sector.”
The union added that “this is a commitment that all members of the union have vowed to pursue to its logical conclusion.”
Ogbinaka, in the release, noted that after the meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo, last week Thursday, it was clear that “the Federal Government is merely paying lip service to education in Nigeria and deceiving the public on its commitment to its transformation agenda.”
The union called for the continued support and understanding of members of the public and all stakeholders in the struggle to save public education in the country.

Stop this strike, women group urges
The National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Oyo State chapter, has urged the Federal Government and ASUU to end the lingering crisis in the interest of the students.
The president of the society, Mrs Victoria Adetona, made this call while briefing journalists ahead of the induction of the Oyo State governor’s wife, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, as the matron of the society.
“We thought this strike will not last long, but it is getting out of hand, because our children are lagging behind academically and will not be able to meet up with their colleagues in other parts of the world.
“The FG is to be blamed because it signed an agreement with the university lecturers and does not want to honour it. There is the need to end this strike, otherwise mothers will take drastic action,” she said.
Adetona described the stay at home of university students as unnecessary, noting that it would affect the quality of graduates that would be produced in the nearest future.