There is discord among members of the University of Abuja’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) regarding the indefinite strike recently announced by the union. Following the declaration of the strike on Thursday, a faction of lecturers known as the “Anti-strike ASUU Members” distanced themselves from the decision.
The announcement of the strike came after the Abuja chapter of ASUU concluded its congress at the Permanent Site of the institution. However, immediately after the strike declaration, the Anti-strike ASUU members held a press conference to express their opposition to it.
Abubakar Kari, the dean and former convener of ASUU National Political Committee, along with Prof. M. Y. Gana, the former Nigerian ambassador to Japan and head of the Department of Agriculture Engineering, asserted that a select group within the local ASUU leadership was pushing for the strike to serve their own interests rather than the broader concerns of ASUU members and the University of Abuja.
Kari emphasized that they, representing numerous other like-minded members, were committed to protecting the integrity of the University of Abuja’s academic calendar and ensuring the smooth operation of the university. They strongly opposed the decision to initiate an indefinite strike without seeking the input of ASUU members through a vote, stating that it did not align with ASUU’s standard procedure for calling a strike.
Therefore, they asserted that the so-called strike did not accurately represent the views of the majority of ASUU members and was invalid.