By Eunice Emeyazia
The state Commissioner for Higher Education Professor Patrick Muoboghare has said that Universities in Delta State would not embark on solidarity strike with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
Professor Muoboghare stated this while speaking in a weekly live programme, Let’s Talk Education, on the Voice of Delta FM Asaba.
He said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has been consistent in paying lecturers and staff of Universities their allowances, which formed the basis of the ASUU strike, hence the state Government would direct it’s resources on other developmental projects, rather than solidarity strike.
The Commissioner noted that every University ought to know their pay masters and hold them accountable, adding that in Delta state, polytechnics and Universities have since resumed academic activities in all fields, because the state Government was not owing them.
He however appealed to the Federal Government to quickly listen to the demands of ASUU and renegotiate the welfare package for University workers in line with current realities, while also calling on governors of the various states to do the needful, so that the backlash would not affect Delta state.
Professor Muoboghare said the Governor has good intentions for the academic sector, hence had approved salary subvention for the three new universities in the state, granted them approval to fill vacancies without coming to Asaba, after giving a clear directive that none of the already existing staff should lose their jobs, except those who opted out.
He said the three new universities in the state were autonomous, adding that Government will not be held responsible in the event of any strike to disrupt it’s academic activities.
The Higher Education Commissioner said Education at any level remained a joint venture involving the teacher parents and students, and all hands should be on deck to move the education sector forward.
It would be recalled that ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on February 14 and extended it to another two months at the expiration of the warning strike over the alleged failure of the government to address their demands.
Eunice Emeyazia
