ASUU and INEC meet on Friday, January 4, 2018 to look at
the possibility of suspending ongoing strike before 2019 general
elections.
The Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) has reportedly asked the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) not to depend on students and lecturers for
the upcoming 2019 general elections.
The Chairman of the Union, University of Ibadan, Deji Omole said this on Thursday, January 3, 2019, in Ibadan.
According to Cable, Omole said that even if
ASUU is not on strike its members’ participation in the election would
have been voluntary and subject to each individual.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC
“We are not part of INEC, therefore, INEC can look elsewhere for ad-hoc staff to conduct the election.”
“What
Nigerians are only interested in is a credible election and not
participation of lecturers. Even when we were not on strike, not all our
members are interested in participating in the elections, because it is
a voluntary thing.
“Whoever that feels like participating in
the elections can go ahead to participate. If you check in the letter
addressed to individuals that have participated in the election in the
past, the letter is addressed to individuals and not to ASUU.”
However, ASUU and INEC are meeting on Friday,
January 4, 2019, to discuss the possibility of suspending ongoing strike
before the 2019 general elections to allow students to participate in
the elections.
Meanwhile, ASUU president, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi has insisted that the ongoing strike would not be suspended unless the government meets lecturers’ demands. He added that the strike was in the interest of the country.
ASUU declared an indefinite nationwide strike
on Sunday November 4, 2018 at its National Executive Committee meeting
at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).