‘President can’t arbitrarily reopen universities’

President Goodluck Jonathan

The University of Calabar branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has said that President Goodluck Jonathan does not have the right to arbitrarily reopen universities across country.

The union said this in a reaction to reports that the president has directed the re-opening of all Nigerian universities with or without the union.

Chairman of the ASUU branch, Dr. James Okpiliya, said the President could not give such directive since he was not the one that gave the orders for their closure.

Okpiliya said, “The President has no right to reopen schools. In the first place, he did not close the schools. ASUU also did not close the schools. If he likes let him direct the Vice Chancellors to reopen schools but the issue is that academics will not return to the classrooms until all the issues in respect to the 2009 agreement as well the as the Memorandum of Understanding between the union and the Federal Government are sufficiently implemented.

“In the military era the Head of State never used force to resolve its impasse with the union, not now we are in a democracy. If he opens the schools, he can come and teach in the universities. If he used brute force as it is rumoured, he can as well return to the classroom to teach.

“I advise him to sit down sincerely with the leadership of ASUU with a view to resolving the knotty issues in the implementation of the 2009 agreement and MoU which are the main issues in contention in the current struggle.”

Also, both the University of Ibadan and University of Benin chapters of ASUU in separate statements on Sunday asked Jonathan to refrain from the use of force in reopening the varsity gates.

Secretary of ASUU UI, Dr. Ayodeji Omole, said forceful re-opening of the universities would not put an end to the on-going strike.

He called on Jonathan to be honourable by implementing the 2009 agreement with the union.

Omole said, “The attention of our union is drawn to news report in some media alleging that the President of Nigeria will direct the re-opening of all Nigerian universities with or without ASUU. We wish to state that while the President of the Federation has issued an invitation to the leaders of our union for dialogue, it will be unacceptable to our members if government fails to come out with a clear agenda for implementing the 2009 Agreement. Authoritarian posturing has never solved and will not solve the impasse.

“We are calling on Mr. President to tow the path of honour and respect the 2009 Agreement.”

ASUU UNIBEN chairman, Dr. Anthony Money-Emina, said the Federal Government must shun “authoritarian approaches in resolving issues when in dispute with the union.”

His statement read in part, “The attention of our union has been drawn to news in some media alleging that the President of Nigeria will direct the re-opening of all Nigerian universities with or without ASUU from Monday.

“We will like to remind the government that authoritarian approaches to resolving issues in dispute with unions have never worked. In this case, such an affront will only deepen the crisis in education.”