From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Following the directive of the national body, the Academic Staff Union of Universities of Benue State University (ASUU BSU), Makurdi and of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi (FUAM), now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUN), have both suspended their eight months old strike action.
The suspension was communicated shortly after a separate congress meeting held by the schools on Monday.
Both ASUU JOSTUN and ASUU BSU have therefore appealed to the federal government to fulfil its part of the bargain and pay their salaries to enable them to resume work effectively.
Speaking, the Chairman, ASUU JOSTUM, Professor Ameh Ejembi, told our correspondent that congress met and resolved “to activate the suspension on our campus meaning that everybody was supposed to come to work and from congress straight, I directed everybody to go to their office except that the offices are not too healthy for us.”
He noted that “there are lots of reptiles in our private offices and labs because of the long abandonment and the flood because we are close to the river.
“We have already written to the Vice Chancellor to please fumigate the environment as quickly as possible so that people can settle down and feel safe to work.”
Ejembi, who heads the department of Agricultural Extension and Communications, stated that he is also hoping that government will keep their part of the bargain and pay them salaries to enable them to resume fully.
“Our strike is not like any other strike. For every assignment we ought to do, when we come back that is the first point we will start. We had finished exams for the first semester, so I directed our members to mark their papers and submit their work on time.
“We just hope that the government will keep faith with its own bargain. For now, we are back and we have gone back but on the condition that the government will also fulfil its part of the bargain.
“So, we are appealing that the government should understand that these people have been out of salary for eight months so for them to be able to come back to work effectively, they should be able to show some goodwill so that the people can be empowered.
“I do not expect them to go and borrow to resume. Our work is knowledge-based, you need some emotional stability to be able to dish out some knowledge and if you don’t have peace, you won’t be able to do it. That is the concern of our people,” he said.
On his part, the chairman of ASUU BSU, Dr Tarnongo Kwaghfan, said “ASUU does not call off strike, we suspend because we are dealing with people who are not honourable and you always have a pinch of salt when dealing with them.
He stated that the congress of ASUU BSU also resolved to comply with NEC directives saying “What that means is that the university has resumed and lectures will go back to work.
“We are expecting that the government should do the needful so that we avoid these unnecessary breaks in the educational system at the tertiary level.
Kwaghfan who noted that the issues raised by the national body of ASUU have not yet been addressed by the government said the union, is a responsible organization and has decided to suspend the strike based on the ruling of the appeal court.
Kwaghfan called on students of BSU to come back to school and brace up for serious academic work.
Meanwhile, by the time our correspondent visited BSU, Makurdi on Monday morning, students were yet to resume safe for a few who expressed mixed feelings over the suspension.
Some of the students, Sunday Obagudu and Wisdom Iorlumun, said they are happy that the strike has been suspended and called on the federal government to settle ASUU’s demands to prevent another occurrence.
Also, business operators at the BSU labour market, Daniel Myom, Anna Ayegba and Isaac Ochelebe also expressed happiness about the suspension saying their businesses will boom again after eight months of inactivity.