There is a fresh anxiety at the Delta State University, Abraka as the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Andy Egwunyenga and the chapter’s leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), continued to disagreed whether to resume lectures or abide by the ongoing 8-week roll-over strike of the ASUU.
Prof Egwunyenga had on Saturday during the institution’s matriculation ceremony for new intakes for the 2021/2022 Academic Session announced resumption of classes, insisting that despite the ongoing 8-week roll-over strike of ASUU lectures in the institution will commence on Monday without fail.
According to him, all students must be in their lecture hall on the said date, adding that the ‘university will not amend her academic calendar for any reason’.
He urged old and new students to take it as a responsibility to tell those not aware of the development.
But, reacting to the news, Chairman of ASUU, Abraka branch, Comrade G. Demaki, said that ASUU-DELSU, in line with the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU is still on strike.
He warned that they ‘have a Strike Monitoring Committee in place just like that of the national body put in place to enforce compliance by all academic staff who intend to betray the Union’
‘If we establish that they take classes, we will issue such member query and make them face the Ethics Committee and if found guilty will be expelled or denied the right to hold any position’
Daily Sun reports that the development is currently causing anxiety in the institution as many students interview anonymously said that the situation may affect their examination as some departments have already commenced lectures in the institution.
Some of the students disclosed that examination will commence soon in the institution as some departments have already fixed dates for tests for students.
Specifically, the student appealed to ASUU-DELSU to be on the same page with management, especially since the present VC had once headed ASUU in DELSU.
Daily Sun reports that with the development, it appears as if the management and ASUU are on a collision path as ASUU are bent on enforcing the directives by the national executive council in totality.
In a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, Chairman of DELSU ASUU branch, Comrade G. Demaki, told Daily Sun that students were not on campus on account of ASUU and such should not be held responsible for any anxiety they currently faced.
He said that ASUU has no power to stop the management from reopening the institution but lecturers who go contrary to ASUU NEC directives would be penalised.