The Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities says its members will convey a meeting on Tuesday, September 27, to review the Federal Government directive to reopen their schools for academic activities.
The meeting, according to a report by the Nigerian Tribune, will also have pro-chancellors in attendance.
The newspaper quoted Professor Yakubu Ochefu, the Secretary-General of the Committee, as giving this information.
The committee’s planned meeting was the aftermath of a directive by the Nigerian Government that Vice-Chancellors should re-open all the government-owned universities following the ruling of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria against the ongoing strike by members of ASUU.
The directive is contained in a letter by the National Universities Commission to vice-chancellors.
The letter said the vice-chancellors should re-open schools and allow students to resume lectures.
“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; Restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses,” the letter partly reads.
ASUU had been on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.
Chris Ngige, Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, had hinted last week that the government would order the vice-chancellors to reopen the universities in compliance with the court’s order.
Ngige also assured that the court ruling does not preclude further negotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU.
The Government had taken ASUU to the National Industrial Court and asked it to compel the union to call off its seven months old strike that has paralysed the academic activities in the nation’s public universities.
