NUT insists on joining ASUU strike Thursday

■As FG vows to address shortage of teachers
From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja
National Union of Teachers (NUT) has insisted on joining the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) after the expiration of its fortnight ultimatum, which ends on Thursday, should the Federal Government not find a way to end the strike.
This is even as President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed that his administration is determined to address teachers shortage in schools in the country, noting that government was aware that the crucial responsibilities of kindling inspiration, encouraging creative thinking, building strong moral character, and providing emotional support to pupils and students are all vested in teachers.
Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo at the President’s Teachers’ and Schools’ Excellence Award ceremony to mark the 2013 World Teacher’s Day, Jonathan said the government was with teachers in moulding future leaders and called on them to be focused on long term benefits of their profession.
The president announced that government had so far trained 40,000 teachers at the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), while the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) had expanded its support in the training of 5,000 lecturers across higher educational institutions.

The National President of NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya, while fielding questions from newsmen at the event meant to appreciate the invaluable contributions of teachers to the advancement of the nation, advised the Federal Government to set up a team comprising the President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and former presidents such as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and representatives of the vice chancellors to meet ASUU and find a common ground to resolve the impasse, warning that failure of which they will shut down primary and secondary schools in the country in solidarity with their colleagues in the tertiary institutions.
The NUT president while commending the Federal Government for providing N130 billion out of the N400 billion demand by ASUU, said even though it has demonstrated good faith by the action, the past experiences of government reneging on its promises must have caused ASUU to insist that all demands be met.
Olukoya, speaking more on the planned solidarity strike said, “the National Executive Council of our great union met about nine days (10 days by today) ago wherein the state of the nation was perused. We discovered that the way and manner education is going in this country is not good and something proactive should be done to change it. So consequent upon that meeting, it was resolved that if in a fortnight the lingering problem between ASUU and Federal Government is not resolved, we should not hesitate to solidarise with them to ensure that education is properly footed, fitted and transformed.”

Asked if the union was going ahead despite meeting with federal government’s team, the NUT president said, “Yes, it continues. But let me say, immediately we gave that ultimatum the first person to invite us was the Minister of Labour and the Supervising Minister for Education, we met with them and they told us all that they have been able to do to put the matter behind us. We have not been able to meet with ASUU but we advised that if this people said they need about N400 billion and you have been able to provide N130 billion, well to all intent and purposes it’s a good beginning. But then ASUU members are academics. They are not fools.

Maybe their fear is that in the past people have been reneging on promises. So in order to now build the confidence into this new found love, NUT advises that they involve powerful voices in this country like the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, that will take care of the legislative arm. Past heads of state like Olusegun Obasanjo and Mr. President himself, including representatives of Vice Chancellors of universities because we cannot continue to stay at home.”
Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, who received NUT award for excellence in education alongside his colleagues in Enugu, Sullivan Chime and Yobe,  Ibrahim Gaidam, who were represented, however, appealed to the striking workers to show some understanding, even as he expresses confidence that the federal government will soon end the impasse.
The supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, was, however, shocked to hear that the NUT was going ahead with its strike the despite talks.
He said, “they have said that (going on strike) before when we met with them and they saw reasons that there is need for us to work together. So if they say that they are going on strike I’m not aware of that because I know we have had discussions with them with minister of Labour, so it will be surprising to me if NUT say that they want to join the ASUU strike. I want to debunk that.”