ASUU STRIKE: FG Shifts Ultimatum Deadline

The Federal Government on Monday shifted the deadline for the strikers from December 4 to December 9.
Previously the government, through the acting Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, had ordered the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resume work on December 4.
However, on Tuesday the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Julius Okojie, announced the new date while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He said the Government had shifted the deadline after it received notification of Prof. Festus Iyayi’s funeral rites slated for between December 5 and 7.
Former ASUU President Mr. Iyayi tragically died on November 12, 2013 in auto crash in Lokoja on his way to attend the association’s meeting in Kano.
“We just received information that the burial rites of Festus Iyayi begins on the December 5 and would last till December 7.
“Based on this information, government decided to shift the resumption deadline to December 9, to
enable lecturers to participate in the burial,” Okojie explained.
The executive secretary said the directive had been communicated to the various university Governing Councils and Vice Chancellors for onward transmission to the academic staff. He also added that there was no intention to victimise any lecturer for participating in the strike. He said the victimisation clause which members of ASUU were using to discredit the government never came up when the unionists met with President Goodluck Jonathan on November 4.
It was also mentioned that the order does not require students to commence lectures immediately.
“The school environment had to be made habitable for both students and the entire staff of the universities.’’
He said any lecturer who resumed work after the expiration of the new deadline would not have his or her salary arrears paid.
“You cannot pay someone who has failed to resume work. You are on strike and you want to be paid?
The ASUU President, Nasir Fagge, had earlier explained that the union did not add any new demands in its letter to the president.
ASUU President Nasir Fagge  condemned government’s ultimatum, noting that the government’s letter after the meeting with President Jonathan (aimed and problem resolution) was not a total reflection of what transpired during the meeting.
"The document was a report of Government’s understanding of the decisions or agreement reached on the matters discussed with ASUU,” he said.