Hmmmm Unilag lecturers promise to cover lost grounds

As academic activities resumed at the University of Lagos, yesterday, the institution’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has promised to make sacrifices to make up for lost time.

The Chairman of the university’s chapter of ASUU, Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka, gave the assurance in Lagos. Lecturers in public universities embarked on an indefinite strike under the aegis of ASUU on June 30, 2013. They called off the strike on December 17. 2013. The lecturers were agitating for Federal Government’s full implementation of an agreement it entered into with the union in 2009. Ogbinaka said that the union was satisfied with steps the government recently took to ensure that the country’s university system was on the same pedestal with those of many other countries. He said that University of Lagos lecturers would ensure that areas that suffered during the strike were covered qualitatively.

He urged students to work hard to make up for the lost time. According to him, the Federal Government had demonstrated willingness to create a conducive teaching and learning environment in public universities. He said that it was necessary for lecturers and students to play their respective roles well. ‘ The government, as part of its efforts to encourage us, has paid all our salary arrears; we are indeed happy with the development. “The same government has set up a NEEDS Assessment Committee in public universities with members of other labour unions in the system well represented. “With the development, we are optimistic that we shall be seeing a system that will be able to compete favourably with its counterparts in other climes.” “Given this development, we see a situation where, not only students, lecturers and parents will be happy,  but where the entire country will be better.” Ogbinaka, said.

He said that students of the university had started returning to campus in large numbers in readiness for resumption of academic activities. The unionist said that he was looking forward to a better and brighter future for Nigerian students, adding that the strike was a much needed sacrifice for improved university system and products.