By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities, Ambrose Alli University, ASUU-AAU, chapter, Ekpoma, has reiterated its involvement and participation in the ongoing nationwide strike called by the National Executive Council, NEC, of the union, saying it remained unshakeable despite the overt desperation of the university administration to break its ranks with a view to truncating its industrial action.
The decision of the union to continue with its strike was contained in a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Monday Igbafen and Dr. Anthony Aizebioje-Coker, respectively, after a meeting of the union executive in Benin, yesterday.
The union insisted that only the national leadership of ASUU can suspend the strike meant to reposition and revamp public universities in the country, including AAU, Ekpoma.
Why infrastructure development is our main focus — UNIBEN VC
“Our members are holding on because they believe in their union and perceive all the actions so far taken by the university administration to force them back to work as cheap blackmail and outdated antics,” the union said.
It, however, accused the university administration of promoting insecurity through sponsorship of thuggery among members of the union to intimidate the union as demonstrated in the disruption of the branch’s congress meeting of January 28, in a bid to enthrone tyranny and dictatorship in the administration of the university.
The union re-affirmed its resolve and readiness to resist all attempts to install a reign of fear, intimidation, cowardice and loss of academic freedom, “which the current administration has resolved to foist on the university.”
The union also insisted that the ongoing nationwide strike is in the interest of AAU, having been a great beneficiary of ASUU struggle.
