Though the President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir Faggae, refused to pick his calls and also did not respond to a text message sent to him on the latest development, the Enugu State Police Command confirmed that its men had been directed to man universities to quell any protest that might result from the Federal Government’s order on lecturers to resume work on or before Wednesday. The command told Saturday PUNCH that police officers had also been directed to be stationed at the universities to forestall any disturbance from various groups or lecturers on Monday. “There is no cause for alarm and we are combat ready in the event of any violence or disturbance,” the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said. Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, confirmed that the police had been mandated to provide security for lecturers that want to resume work against molestation by their other colleagues, who may not want them to do so. “We are not going to their houses to force them to come and teach in the universities. Even though the Federal Government has taken a stance, we are not in the military rule to molest lecturers,” he said. But reacting to the latest development, the Chairman, ASUU, UNIBEN chapter, Emina-Monye, said ASUU members were not bothered about government’s latest strategy. He said, “They can go ahead with that. We are not perturbed. Let them call the police; let them advertise vacant positions and see how many international scholars will want to accept what Nigerian university lecturers are taking- let them go ahead.” Also, ASUU branch at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said government’s directive was an attempt to waste students’ time. The UNIUYO ASUU Chairman, Dr. Nwachukwu Anyim, said in Uyo on Friday that Nigeria was no longer in a military era and so lecturers could not be coerced by anybody to work against their wish. He said, We will see how they will come to our homes and force us to resume work. “Only the Federal Government can tell the world what it has in mind. We have a shortfall of 60,000 lecturers in the university system. If they are advertising this one, it means they must have an idea of where they are going to put them, and they must be people who are going to work without equipment.” However, the University of Nigeria chapter of ASUU on Friday said its members would not resume work until their demands are met. The UNN-ASUU also described the Minister of Education, Wike, as a “tout”.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:32:44 +0000
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