The University of Abuja branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has suspended its 82-day-old strike.
The strike was suspended on Monday after the newly inaugurated council waded into the disagreement between the union and the university management.
The Chairman UniAbuja ASUU, Dr Sylvester Ugoh, disclosed this to journalists during a briefing after the union congress in Abuja on Monday.
He said the union had reviewed the submission of the council and unanimously suspended the strike so the university administration could look at the gray areas and act accordingly.
He said the suspension was with immediate effect and called on members to go back to classrooms.
Recall that the union, on May 2, 2024, embarked on indefinite strike to protest against alleged violations of the Act establishing the university, including appointments and promotions of members of staff in the absence of a governing council.
Other issues were the illegal advertorial for vacancy of position of Vice-Chancellor by the then Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Alla’s administration, recruitments, promotion exercise without due process and withdrawal of membership of the Micro Finance Bank as well as failure to conduct election into offices of deans of faculties.
He said the union had been engaging with the former vice chancellor but he did not shift ground.
“He refused in his position to comply to the rules, he refused to comply to the act establishing the university and refused to oblige the process. After all procedures failed, the union embarked on comprehensive and indefinite strike,” he said.
Ugoh explained that the council had agreed to cancel the adverts earlier placed for the position of Vice Chancellor and to review the process of recruitment and promotion exercise that was done in the university between 2022 and 2023 without due process.
He said, “According to the council chairman, we were told that by 6th August, the committee reviewing these things would have completed their functions so we are hoping that by that time they will get back to the union.
“We also arrived at the clause that no member of the union will be victimized for embarking on this strike. So by that we are calling all our members to return to work with immediate effect and we are going to cover lost ground in the next few weeks,” he said.
“On the issue of promotion, the council also agreed to review the promotion exercise especially the 2022/2023 promotion that was done. They have also mandated that the election into the position of deans of faculties and provost college of health sciences be conducted.
“As for the position of director in the micro finance bank, the acting VC through the secretary of the bank has communicated the union for us to take our position in the board of directors.”
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