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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A meeting convened by the Bayelsa State government to appeal to striking lecturers of the Niger Delta University (NDU) Amassoma to suspend their industrial action failed to yield results.
Consequently, the strike embarked upon by the ASUU NDU chapter continues until the state government shows seriousness in implementing the agreement it reached with the union.
Sources at the meeting stated that the leader of the government delegation and Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah had appealed to the striking lecturers to return to the classroom because of the impact on the students who are suffering and could have extra year.
In response, the ASUU Chairman, Dr Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteideh responded that lecturers are also suffering because of the failure of the government to keep to its promise and implement agreements it reached with the union.
Sources said the state government delegation could not give any commitment to the implementation of the agreement but promised to report back to the governor.
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Dr Bebeteideh in an interview expressed sadness that the Bayelsa State government has failed to implement an agreement it wilfully entered into with the union.
According to him, the union had always been eager to negotiate with the state government despite the state government’s history of non-implementation of agreements with the union.
‘’ The Commissioner told us that students were complaining bitterly and that their graduation would be delayed. I also told ASUU members are suffering, they can’t pay for transport to work. If the students are crying, they should also look at our plight. They stated that there is need for ASUU to always be at the negotiating table, but I told them ASUU has not left the negotiating table for once. I gave them the history of how the 25 % -35% wage award came from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023.
‘’ Immediately Federal Government started implementing March last year. Before then, Ekiti State University, Kwara State University, and LAUTECH have been paying. Osun State University started in April. As I speak to you now, all the Universities in Delta and Ondo are receiving. Gombe State University is the most recent that has started receiving.
‘’We as a branch in NDU started engaging the state government in May 2024. The first letter we wrote, attaching the memo from the National Salaries and Wages Commission was written in May 2024, but we did not receive any response. We wrote another letter in July on the same issue reminding them of the first letter, but we did not receive any response, we wrote another letter in August on the same issue and we did not receive any response.’’
Bebeteideh stated that the state government should show good faith in implementing the agreement reached with the union which would go a long way to alleviate the suffering NDU lecturers are currently going through.
