By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Scanty administrative work has begun at the two campuses of the Federal University, Lokoja (FUL); Adankolo and Felele due to thin population of non academic staff that resumed duty.
Our Correspondent reports that the development is sequel to the suspension of strike for two months by members of the Joint Action Committee of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) together with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for close to seven months.
Our Correspondent who visited the the Adankolo campus of the university on Wednesday,reports that few administrative staff were seen in the office while few engaged in cleaning the offices,preparatory for full work.
The online publication recalls that SSANU and NASU suspended their strike, following their meeting with the Minister of Educatuon,Adamu Adamu in Abuja few days ago.
Adamu told SSANU and NASU at the meeting that the federal government had committed N50 billion to pay their earned allowances.
However, ASUU sticks to its gun, insisting that the federal government has not met all its demands, especially the 2009 agreement, adding that its members must be paid for the period of the strike.
The Educatuon Minister, however, said the lecturers would not be paid for the period of the strike.
The said to be planning to meet soon to decide either to continue the strike or otherwise, according to media report.
A senior staff of the University,who spoke with our Correspondent on the condition of anonymity, attributed the low turn out of non academic staff in the office to the fact that, many of them might have traveled out of Lokoja.
“Some may not have transport fare to board Kekenapep or other means of transportation to and from the office. We are hoping that the resumption of duty will record more population of staff as from Monday,” she said.
Meanwhile, many of the university students,who spoke with The Reporters in Lokoja, in separate interview on the strike, said they were fed up staying idle at home, adding that they could no longer wait endlessly on account of the strike while their educational ambition suffer.
” No doubt,ASUU members have a good ground to lay their demands for governnent attention.
“Their demands border on the need for improved infrastructure in public universities and for enhanced welfare for university staff which will reflect in the quality of graduates in the country.
“However, the union needs to soft pedal over the lingering strike and for the federal government to carry out its own aspect of the agreement, too, in such a way that the education of the students will not be in total jeopardy.
“The two parties need to reach amicable resolution in the interest of the students and the nation at large,” Abubakar Salami, a Political Science final year student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said.
