ASUU: Strike continues because we are not in a military era

*Knocks for Wike

Following the directive by the Federal Government that all the federal universities should re-open on December 4, the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that it remains resolute on its indefinite strike.

Secretary of the University of Abuja chapter of the union, Abubakar Suleiman, who reacted to the development in a phone chat with our correspondent in Abuja, said the conditions given by the union before the strike would be suspended are still germane, insisting that the union would not compromise its stand on account of intimidation by the government.

He described the directive by the government to reopen the universities as acting as if the country was in a military era, saying, “the Minister (Nyeson Wike) can run his mouth and make any pronouncement for all we care, the strike is still on and we are not going to call it off on account of intimidation.

“We are not raising any fresh demands, we only gave government conditions to ensure that our members who participated in the strike are not victimised.

“Part of those conditions is that government must settle the salary arrears of our members before we go back to classrooms,we are not in a military era when somebody would just wake up and make pronouncements. ASUU cannot be intimidated.

“If they want us to call off the strike, they must meet these conditions, particularly the 2009 agreements,” he said.