UniAbuja ASUU suspends 81-day strike rejecting staff appointments

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has suspended its strike.

Sylvanus Ugoh, the chairman of the university’s branch of ASUU, addressed journalists following a congress in Abuja on Monday.

The UniAbuja ASUU has been at loggerheads with the varsity’s management in a protest against alleged illegal appointments and promotions.

The union members had disagreed with some appointments done without a governing council.

The ASUU branch also rejected an advert for the vacancy of the vice-chancellor’s position by the then Abdulrasheed Na’Allah-led university management.

They had begun a strike on May 2 to voice their demands.

Ugoh said on Monday that the UniAbuja ASUU suspended its strike after the union met with a new governing council in the university.

He said the council promised to review and address all of the union’s demands.

Ugoh said the council agreed to cancel the controversial advertorial and publish a new one in line with due process.

He said the council also agreed to review the staff employment and promotion process, especially those of the 2022/2023 season.

“Within these 82 days, we have been engaging with the former vice chancellor but he did not shift ground,” the ASUU chairman said.

“He refused in his position to comply with the rules. He refused to comply with the act establishing the university and refused to oblige the process. After all procedures failed, the union embarked on a comprehensive and indefinite strike.

“Since the inauguration of the council, the union has been engaging the council and the university administration. The council met with the union last Thursday. They communicated in writing to the union, touching on the issues that bothered the strike.

“The council agreed to cancel the advert that was placed before now and re-advertise for the position of the VC. The council also went ahead to agree with the union to review the process of recruitment that was done without due process.

“The process of employment of staff in the university is clear. There must be an advert in the national daily. These processes were not followed. So the council has agreed to review the process of recruitment and get back to the union.

“They also have mandated that the election into the position of deans of facilities and provost, College of Health Sciences, be conducted.”

In late June, Aisha Sani Maikudi, a law professor, was appointed as the acting vice-chancellor of UniAbuja.

This happened at a time when a court case over the legitimacy of the university’s 10th internal council election was pending.

Among other issues that prompted the UniAbuja strike was ASUU’s stake in a multi-stakeholder microfinance banking venture.

Ugoh said the acting VC has communicated that ASUU should take its position on the board of directors of the microfinance bank.

“Congress unanimously resolved to suspend the strike so that the university will be able to look at these issues,” the chairman said.