By Uche Amunike
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Lagos State University (LASU), has declared a total indefinite strike action over the failure of the Lagos State Government to carry out the Federal Government approved salary increment of 25% and 35% for its members, since January 2023.
Speaking, through a statement dated December 8 and issued by the ASUU-LASU Chairperson, Professor Ibrahim Bakare and Secretary, Sylvester Idowu, the strike officially kicked off on December 6, 2024, having noted that all the federal universities and 28 state universities have already implemented the agreement they made with the federal government.
He explained that the declaration of the strike action is in tandem with the decision of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all the staff unions in the university, adding that a letter has been released to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji Bello and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
JAC encompasses ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), as well as the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The union stated that the Lagos state government refused to implement the recommendation of the committee which was set up by the government on the harmonization of salaries to be on the same scale as that of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUTECH), as well as the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), which it stated, earned better salaries than their counterparts in LASU. They therefore appealed, through the statement to students to remain calm and watch as events played out.
It read: ‘We use this medium to appeal to our world-class students to display a high sense of maturity, solidarity and understanding in this matter. We implore them to keep calm and watch as events unfold. We are aware that the state government and the university management are making frantic efforts to resolve the unfortunate development.’
They reiterated that students had no stake in the matter at hand and no right to meddle into welfare issues concerning staff members of the university and the government. They therefore advised that the students do not allow themselves to be used in any way that does not directly concern them.
Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the Student Union which reportedly claims that only ASUU members are embarking on the strike action, while academic activities will continue unhindered, was dismissed by ASUU.
According to a report by the Punch, the Student Union President, Ayomide Adebobola and Public Relations Officer, Mouyon Asikoto, released the statements where they assured students of undisrupted academic activities
ASUU, has however advised the students to pay no attention to the statement.
It partly read: ‘Our law-abiding students should disregard the Press Release dated 7th December 2024, jointly signed by the LASU Students’ Union President and the Public Relations Officer that activities continue in LASU despite SSANU and NASU industrial strike.’
‘We wish to remind them that students have no stake in the matter or possess any right to meddle into welfare issues involving staff members of the university and the government, and as such they should not allow themselves to be used in a matter that does not directly concern them.’
