THE Kaduna State University has ordered its striking lecturers to resume work or face sanctions.
Lecturers in the university are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has been on strike since February 14 over unmet demands by the Federal Government.
Though state universities such as the Kaduna State University are owned and managed by the state governments, they also benefit from funding and other interventions by the Federal Government.
In a circular signed by the university’s Registrar, Samuel Manshop, on Monday, the university said it would be forced to invoke Section 2(2) of the Staff Conditions of Service if the lecturers failed to return to work.
“This is to convey the directive of the Governing Council that all academic staff should resume academic activities, especially the conduct of the Second Semester 2020/2021 Academic Session, with effect from Monday, September 5, 2022.
“Refusal to comply with this directive will force the Council to invoke Section 2, Clause 2 (2) of the Staff Conditions of Service Revised Edition 2018.
“All Provosts, Deans, Heads of Department and Units are hereby directed to compile and submit the names of complying staff.”
Apart from Kaduna State University, managements of state universities, namely Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, Osun State University, Lagos State University and Gombe State University, among others, have in the past few days directed their lecturers participating in the strike to return to work.
The current strike by ASUU clocked 204 days on Monday. All efforts by the Federal Government and the union to resolve the crisis have failed.
On September 3, The ICIR reported that ASUU had gone on strike for over 600 days since May 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari took the oath of office.
Meanwhile, on August 25, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, described state universities calling off the strike as quacks.
But he consequently faced harsh criticisms, with the state universities, including their alumni and other Nigerians, condemning him for the comment and demanding that he make a retraction.
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 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org