Is it right for state universities to pull out from ASUU strike?

As the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike lingers for more than 200 days, some state-owned universities are pulling out from the industrial action. For months, students and parents have continued to lament as the strike by ASUU to press home their demands has paralysed almost all public universities in the country. Gunmen kidnap […]

As the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike lingers for more than 200 days, some state-owned universities are pulling out from the industrial action.

For months, students and parents have continued to lament as the strike by ASUU to press home their demands has paralysed almost all public universities in the country.

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Some of the state universities that have pulled out of the strike action include Kaduna State University (KASU), Ekiti State University (EKSU).

Other state-owned universities where ASUU members have refused to join the nationwide strike include Kwara State University, Osun State University, Lagos State University, and Ambrose Alli University in Edo State, among others.

This has raised questions over rightness or otherwise of the decision of the state universities.

Reacting to the development in an interview with Daily Trust, the ASUU Chairman, Bauchi State University chapter, Dr Yusuf Musa Yahaya, described the pulling out from the national strike as ‘suicidal mission’ for state universities.

He said, “Pulling out from the strike is a suicidal mission for state universities, considering the fact that the problems at the local branches are worst than that at the federal universities.

“Once we submit to pull out from the strike, at a time when we want to press our demands to the state governors, it’s the national body that support us to do so and if it refuses, do you think any local chapter can execute its strike successfully?

“ASUU is one body just like NLC (Nigeria Labour Congress), you only have state chapters but the decision comes from the national, this is how ASUU operates. So many state universities engaged in local actions because the national body supported them and they got what they wanted.

“Now if you say we should pull out from the strike, what if you have local issues, who will support you to execute your strike? This strike is for the survival of public universities.”

On his part, a lawyer and public affairs analyst Mr. Liborous Oshoma, said it’s a good thing state universities are pulling out from the strike.

He said, “This idea of unnecessarily holding students never pays, so it’s a good thing state universities are pulling out from the strike. You know the Federal Government cannot. Let tell ourselves the truth, it’s unfortunate that we take Federal Government seriously.

“For students that have been at home and lost the session, no matter how justified the universities’ demands are, it gets to the time the students feel that the ASUU and the federal government do not care about the future of Nigerian youths. Students are willing to go back to school whether the demands are met or not.”