By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, has announced the suspension of its 82-day strike with immediate effect.

Chairperson of ASUU, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, announced the suspension of the strike at a news briefing in Abuja on Monday, short after the congress held by the union.

Ugoh hinged the suspension of the strike on the union’s engagement with the institution’s new Governing Council, which promised to review all their demands and address them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUU had, on May 2, embarked on the indefinite strike to protest violation of its established laws, including appointments and promotions of members of staff, in the absence of a governing council.

Other issues, according to the union, are: the purported illegal advertorial for the position of vice-chancellor by the then Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Alla-led administration, and recruitments without due process.

Ugoh said that the council had met with the union and agreed to cancel the advert and republish a new one, following due process.

He said that the council also agreed to review the process of employment, which the union was against, and review the issue of promotion, especially the 2022/2023 exercise.

“Within these 82 days, we have been engaging with the former vice-chancellor but he did not shift ground.

“He refused to comply with the rules; he refused to comply with the act establishing the university and follow due process.

“After all the procedures failed, the union embarked on a comprehensive and indefinite strike,” he said.

Ugoh said that since the inauguration of the council, the union had been engaging the council and the university management.

He said that the council met with ASUU on July 18 and communicated to it in writing on the issues bordering on the strike.

“The council wrote the union and agreed to cancel the advert that was placed before now and re-advertise for the position of the vice-chancellor and that was actually the demand of the union.

“The council also agreed with the union to review the process of recruitment that was done without due process.

“According to the act, the process of employment of staff in the university is clear: there must be an advert in the national daily.

“This process was not followed, but the council has agreed to review it and get back to the union,” he stated.

Ugoh said that the council also agreed to review the promotion exercise, especially the 2022/2023 exercise.

He added that the new council had also directed that the election into the positions of deans of faculties and provost of college of health sciences be conducted.

“As for the position of director of the micro-finance bank, the acting vice-chancellor, through the secretary to the bank, has communicated with us that the union should take its position in the board of directors.

“So with these, and also in honour of the new council and the acting vice-chancellor, the union has reviewed the submissions of the council and we just finished from the congress.

“The congress unanimously resolved to suspend the strike so that the university administration will be able to look at the issues,” he said. (NAN)

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