The Federal Government (FG), on Monday ordered Vice-Chancellors in universities across the country to re-open schools and allow students resume academic activities.
The order for the Vice-Chancellors to immediately reopen the nation’s Ivory towers was contained in a letter signed by the Director, Finance and Accounts of National Universities Commission (NUC), Sam Onazi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed.
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 and commence lectures; restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses,” the letter partly read.
ASUU in the last seven months had embarked on strike since February 14, 2022, to demand for improved funding for universities, a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.
Recall that the FG and ASUU had several meetings seeking a lasting solution to the lingering industrial actions by the university lectures but every meeting ended in deadlock due to disagreement over the demands
Last week, the Federal Government went to court to challenge the strike but the union insisted it would not resume until its demands are met by the government.
Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), had ruled that ASUU calls off its seven-month-old strike but to know avail.
Justice Polycarp Hamman, in his ruling in a suit brought the Federal Government for an interlocutory injunction against the ongoing ASUU strike ordered ASUU to end the strike and go back to school.
However, it’s not certain if the Federal government is enforcing the order of the Court by issue order for the Association to back to the classroom.