By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State, Tuesday, said they would not join the ongoing one month industrial action backed by the parent body.
ASUU had on Monday, embarked on one month warning strike following the federal government refusal to fulfill the agreements it reached with the Union since 2009 including replacement of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS); release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities; and improved funding for revitalisation of public universities and others.
The Interim Chairperson, Progressive-ASUU, COOU, Prof. Osita Chiaghanam, who disclosed this in an interview with Blueprint in his office, said the state owned university would not be shutdown because the staff interests and those of the students were being taken care of by the university.
According to Chiaghanam, unlike federal government, the State government was providing adequate funding to the state university including prompt payment of staff salaries, infrastructure and enabling environment for academic activities.
"We don't receive our payments through IPPIS. The revitalisation is a general matter. Our state government always pay our salaries. Arears, pensions and promotions have been cleared. Our University is running smoothly. That is why we don't have to join the strike. Go round the university community to confirm to yourself...You can see students been attended to," he added.
He also dismissed the allegations that a splinter group, ASUU main-COOU had embarked on the one month strike, noting that majority of the university staff were members of ASUU-Pogressive and as such, would not listen to a few misguided individuals.
"We are internal pressure group in academic cycle. Our effort is to safeguard our Union from been misused or misguided by a few individuals. To correct what the main ASUU in our University are doing which are contrary to the expectations of the university. We are desirous to see that things are done the right way it should be. And also protect the welfare of the staff," he noted.
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