ASUU strike: Universities hold emergency meetings on resumption

Following the suspension of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, findings by our correspondent revealed that public universities across the country have made plans for special meetings of senate councils in preparation for examinations and resumption.

The IDOMA VOICE reports that ASUU on Friday, October 14 announced a suspension of the strike that commenced on Monday, February 14, 2022.

In a statement by the union’s National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, the union explained that it suspended the strike based on a court order while noting that the government had yet to meet some of its demands.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that universities are set to hold special meetings to deliberate on new academic calendars instead of the one that was destabilised by the strike.

According to a memo sighted by our correspondent, the University of Benin has slated a special senate meeting for October 18, 2022.

The memo, which was signed by the institution’s Deputy Registrar, M.I. Owie, partly read, “The vice-chancellor, Prof Lilian Salami, has approved that the meeting of the provost, deans, and directors should be held at the senate chambers on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.”

In a memo from the Federal University of Lafia, the school noted that the senate council would meet on Monday (today) indicating its focus on “reviewing the academic calendar.”

Other universities which have announced meetings for the Senate Council include the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, October 18, 2022; the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, October 17, 2022; the Federal University of Dustin-Ma, Katsina, October 17, 2022; and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, among others.

Meanwhile, other universities, such as Sule Lamido University, have ordered students to resume immediately.

In a memo addressed to students and members of staff, the university management “encouraged students to resume back to school.”

Other schools that have announced resumption include the Tai-Solarin University of Education, the University of Port-Harcourt; the University of Calabar and Bayero University Kano.