The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Benue State University, BSU, Chapter, has described as false the rumours making the rounds that it has plans to pull out of the national body to suspend the ongoing strike action for resumption of academic activities.
The ASUU Chairman in BSU, Dr. Kwaghfan Tarnongo, who spoke to the Next Edition at ASUU Secretariat in Makurdi, on Tuesday, said he is not aware of any such plan.
He noted that there were pressures on them to call off the strike but quickly stated that ASUU BSU is an integral part of the national body and cannot disassociate itself from what is happening with the union.
“For us in the union here, I am not aware of any plans to pull out of the strike.Yes, there is a lot of pressure for us to call off but I keep on telling people that BSU ASUU is not on solidarity strike.
“ASUU BSU is a full charter of ASUU and so anything that happens with the union called Academic Staff Union of Universities in this country, we are an integral part of it. We are a member of NEC. That is the highest decision making body of the union outside of our delegate national conference.
“So for now, there is no decision to pull out of the action we embarked upon since February this year.”
While noting that ASUU is fighting for the future and interest of the Nigerian child, Dr. Tarnong said “We are fighting for the Nigerian child. When we went to school those days, Universities were enjoyable but these days, when you go to campuses, you see undergraduates busy looking for what to eat. The man hour for studies is dwindled.
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“When they go for lectures, a lecture hall meant for just a 100 students now has over 500 students and therefore the students are indulging in lectures by gossip. There is no reasons why such a thing should happen in this country.”
He further hinted that ASUU BSU chapter has its own internal problems ranging from arrears of earned academic allowances of 49 months to issues of pending promotions among many others which needs to be addressed.
The Chairman expressed concerns that if the pending issues are not properly addressed, the union in BSU would have no option than to embark on a local strike after the national secretariat had called off.
“We have a long list of demands; we have arrears of Academic Earned Allowances of 49 months that is not yet paid, we have issue of promotions that have not been implemented for several years now, we have issues of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, we have issues of incremental steps not implemented for three years and a plethora of other problems.
“We have informed the school authorities and everyone we consider a stakeholder that if these problems are not looked into and resolved, the likelihood is that when the national action is suspended, we may have to embark on a local action here and I think as a union, we have done very well in advocating that these problems be taken care of.”
