UNIZIK grounded as lecturers join strike

Academic activities have been grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK),Awka, following the decision of the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to join in the nationwide strike called by the national body. The strike is to force federal and state government to implement three different agreements going back to 2009, […]

Academic activities have been grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK),Awka, following the decision of the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to join in the nationwide strike called by the national body.

The strike is to force federal and state government to implement three different agreements going back to 2009, 2013 and 2016.

The chairman, UNIZIK chapter of ASUU, Professor Dennis Ariwodor, said the strike became imperative since all possible avenues employed by the union to resolve the matter failed

"We joined in the struggle in order to have public universities we will be pride of, to secure the future of our children and their own children future as well, and to lay the foundation for a university system capable of producing a country of our dream." he said.

He re-echoed some of the issues the federal government signed with the body in 2009 and 2013 to include, condition of service, University autonomy, fund for revitalization of the University system, a dedicated revitalization of account to be opened by FGN with CBN to warehouse the fund, among others.

Ariwodor who emphasized that substantial aspects of the 2009 and 2013 agreements had remained unimplemented enumerated some of the current issues of dispute to include, earned academic allowances, funding for the revitalization of public Universities Universities staff schools, fractionalization and non-payment of salaries among others.