The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) Management has clarified that academic and administrative operations will continue despite the reported strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
UniAbuja’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah disclosed this to journalists on Friday during a meeting with key university personnel including Provosts, Deans, Directors, and Heads of academic departments.
In a statement released after the meeting and signed by Dr Habib Yakoob, the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, the VC termed the strike as divisive and unnecessary, pledging that the university’s functions would not be disrupted.
Na’Allah made it clear that the university’s calendar, including ongoing exams and senate meetings, would proceed without interruption.
“As far as the management of the university is concerned, this institution is not on strike.
“Some people said they have declared a strike but all of us with the management have decided that our normal activities in the university must go on.
“Our exam is going on, senate meeting will continue, everything we do as a university will continue, our calendar will not be disrupted any longer by the grace of God.
“It is wrong to cripple the university over issues that are merely sentimental and some of which we have dialogued over and resolved, we are prepared not to allow this disruption again,” he said.
He refuted the claims put forward by ASUU regarding the vice-chancellor’s recruitment process and other administrative matters which led to the strike. Na’Allah maintained that the university had adhered to due process in all its activities.
“Take for instance, the advert for the position of the vice-chancellor, we are not the only university that has advertised, we had the support and approval of the government.
“The advert was done by the Minister of Education, all I did as vice- chancellor was to request, to ask for what is next and they decided this is what we must do.
“And if you look at the advertisement from the beginning, this fact is very clear. It is only that they had to send it to us for execution that is all,” he explained.
The VC restated the university’s commitment to academic and infrastructural advancements.