By Anyanwu Sylvia
With yet another of its usual industrial actions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Imo State Chapter has finally embarked on an indefinite strike pending the payment of the two months’ salary arrears of its members.
The union unanimously agreed on this following an closed door congress held yesterday at the university’s premises where the strike was officially declared. This was followed by abrupt suspension of academic activities by lecturers who stopped further lectures. However pre-degree students were encouraged to continue coming for lectures as they were not affected by the ongoing strike reason being that they need to write their second semester examinations in preparation for the post-UME examination so as to enable the university management grant them admission next academic session.
One of the university’s non-academic staff who spoke under anonymity maintained that the strike action did not affect other official activities other than lectures. She said that they still come to work but will not attend to their official duties as that it is their own way of driving their point home and also in solidarity with the union in general, stressing that they need money as nobody is happy with the situation on ground.
Another non-academic staff from the bursary unit said that apart from lectures, every other activity remains the same. A visit to the university’s main library also showed that not much has changed.
However, a source revealed that what actually transpired in the ASUU meeting was that the lecturers agreed that their presence would be felt in the school premises but they would not enter the lecture halls, tagging their attitude as “engaging in hands off”, not necessarily strike as they had not gone through the processes involved in embarking on a strike action.
Reacting to the situation, students are of the opinion that the strike will be called off in no distant time. Some opined that they would travel home while others are contemplating travelling or sticking around with the hope that the strike will end soon so they can resume normal school activities.
