THE Edo State government has banned union activities by employees in all its tertiary institutions.
It has consequently directed all striking workers at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma to resume immediately.
The government also mandated the school management to advertise vacancies for staff who ignored the order.
The government took the decision on Wednesday following a protest by AAU students over the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU).
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Led by the Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Special Duties, Odiahi Ikhine, the students embarked on a peaceful protest to express their displeasure over the ASUU strike that had kept them at home and prolonged the time they should spend in school.
ASUU began its ongoing strike on February 14. The action has kept virtually all public university students in the country at home.
The AAU students urged the state government to stop union activities in the institution as the Kogi State government did in 2017, which has led to hitch-free academic programmes in its tertiary schools.
“In Kogi State, there is no staff union and their academic calendar runs to favour the students. A four-year course is a four-year course. There is no strike, and the students are happy. I call on the governor to borrow the Kogi example to put the national ASUU strike to an end in AAU.”
Reacting after the meeting of the state executive council, the state government did not only ban union activities at AAU at the students’ request, it extended the action to all government-owned tertiary schools.
According to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, unions affected by the directive include ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and their allied unions.
“By this notice, academic activities are to resume in all state-owned institutions, and all cadre of staff are directed to report to their duty posts immediately.
“Students across all state-owned tertiary institutions are expected to resume lectures as necessary measures have been taken to ensure resumption of academic and non-academic activities. Management of the affected institutions has been mandated to pay all outstanding salaries immediately,” a statement released by the Edo State government said.
The government also mandated the AAU, where a strike is currently ongoing, to implement a no-work-no-pay policy and advertise the position of any staff that refused to resume work.
Meanwhile, ASUP had 14 days ago ended its two weeks warning strike and directed its members to return to work after the Federal Government met some of its demands.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2022. Contact him via email @ [email protected].