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ASUU Threatens Strike Action Over Abducted UNIMAID Lecturers

Published

7 years ago

July 31, 2017

Following the kidnap of their members, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to go on strike if the Federal Government doesn’t secure the release of the abducted lecturers of the University of Maiduguri by Islamist Jihadists Boko Haram.

This is coming after it was reported that no fewer than 48 people, including five lecturers of UNIMAID, about 15 soldiers, 11 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on exploration for crude oil in Barno Yasu, Borno State were massacred on Thursday by the sect. According to Punch, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union would take action, if the Federal Government did not strengthen security in UNIMAID and ensure the release of the abducted lecturers, a day after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo commiserated with victims of the attack.

“Our union is no doubt saddened by the UNIMAID incident. It is a concrete manifestation of our fears all along. As far back as June 9, we expressed our fears about the alarming security situation in the Maiduguri metropolis and particularly in UNIMAID. Those fears we expressed are beginning to manifest concretely,” Ogunyemi told Punch

“The situation could have been better handled. Our members, who were carrying out their legitimate duties were made vulnerable to this experience.”

‘‘We have told the government to take the necessary steps and get our members in captivity released or else, we may be forced to call out our members. But we are getting assurances now that the government is going to do the needful.”