FG orders Vice Chancellors to reopen schools

The federal government has ordered Vice-Chancellors in universities to re-open schools and to allow students to resume lectures.

This is contained in a letter signed by the Director, Finance and Accounts of National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr Sam Onazi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, in Abuja on Monday.

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The letter, which was addressed to all vice-chancellors; Pro-Chancellors and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities, called on them to re-open the universities.

“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses”, the letter reads.

Recall that ASUU had embarked on a strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.

Several meetings between ASUU and the Federal Government have ended in deadlock.

The federal government went to court to challenge the strike but the union insisted it would not resume. It has since appealed the court’s ruling.

On September 21, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja ordered ASUU to suspend its seven-month-old strike.

The judge, Polycarp Hamman, gave the order in a ruling on the federal government’s application for an interlocutory injunction against the ongoing ASUU strike.

ASUU accused the federal government of reneging on a 2009 agreement on matters such as increased funding of universities and increasing lecturers’ salaries. (NAN)