JUST IN: Universities To Cancel Session, Merge Admission Over ASUU Strike

JUST IN: Universities To Cancel Session, Merge Admission Over ASUU Strike

Some public universities in the country may consider cancelling an academic session and merging 2021 and 2022 admission exercises.

This is due to the industrial action by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, entering its fifth month.

According to fact checked by Vanguard more candidates did well in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, than last year.

Checks across some universities also showed that most of them are waiting for the industrial actions by various staff unions to be called off before deciding the next line of action.

The situation may make admission into public universities a serious battle for applicants this year.

How Strike May Affect Session/Admission

Recall that during the COVID-19 lockdown and the nine-month strike by ASUU in 2020, the University of Ibadan had to cancel an academic session, while the University of Lagos merged the 2020 and 2021 admissions.

Checks by Vanguard showed that at the University of Jos, for instance, the university has a backlog of admissions for the 2021/2022 session yet to be cleared.

The Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Office of the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Abdullahi Abdullahi, confirmed the development.

His words, “We have a peculiar case, we have the COVID-19, the crisis in Jos, and the ASUU strike.”

He, however, said it is until the strike is called off that the management would meet and decide what the next line of action would be.

Director of Public Communications, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Mr Tunji Oladepo, said the 2021/2022 academic session was on before the strike started, adding that everything would be clear when the university reopens for academic activities.

According to the Public Relations Officer, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, the management is yet to decide what to do and that the decision would be taken after the strike is put on hold.

“I cannot speculate whether the school will cancel a session or not, but what I am sure of is that we will see through the current session that was ongoing before the commencement of the strike.

When we resume, the school will take the right decision”.

Expressing similar sentiment, the Head of Media, UNILAG, Mrs Abimbola Ojo, said whatever is going to be the next step is dependent on the management and would come when all industrial actions are called off.

Though President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave the instruction that the face-off between the government and ASUU and other unions be quickly resolved, indications are that it may still be a long way to go.

The report of the Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee set up by the government to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement was set aside by the government which is yet to come out with what it can offer the striking workers.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is poised to organise a two-day solidarity rally in support of ASUU and the National Executive Council of ASUU has fixed August 1 this year for its meeting.

Unless the government comes out with its offers that ASUU would see as acceptable this week, the NEC meeting would not have anything positive to consider and the strike may continue.