Why We Are Not Joining ASUU Strike — Ojukwu University

The Academic Staff Union of Universities branch at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State has stated it would not join the ongoing one-month industrial action embarked by the national​ body.

Chairman of ASUU-COOU, Prof. Osita Chiaghanam said that the state-owned university would not be shut down because the students will be the greatest losers.

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​ According to him, ASUU-COOU places a high​ premium on students’ studies and would not​ disappoint them by joining the strike.

Recalled that ASUU had on Monday, embarked on a one-month warning strike following the federal government’s failure to honour​ the agreements it had​ with the Union since 2009.

The agreement includes the replacement of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS); release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities; and improved funding for revitalisation of public universities and others.

According to Chiaghanam,​ the Anambra​ State government is adequately funding​ the​ university with​ prompt payment of staff salaries, infrastructure and enabling environment for academic activities.

“We don’t receive our payments through IPPIS. The revitalisation is a general matter. Our state government always pay our salaries; arrears, pensions and promotions have been cleared. Our University is running smoothly. That is why we don’t have to join the strike. Go round the university community to confirm to yourself… You can see students being​ attended to,” he added.

He also dismissed the allegations that a splinter group, ASUU main-COOU had embarked on the one month strike, noting that the majority of the university staff were members of ASUU-Progressive and as such, would not listen to a few misguided individuals.

“We are an internal pressure group with a job to ensure that the life is kicking. Our effort is to safeguard our Union from being misused or misguided by a few individuals. To correct what the main ASUU in our University are doing which are contrary to the expectations of the university that is desirous to see that things are done the right way as they should be. And also protect the welfare of the staff,” he noted.