PRESS RELEASE BY ASUU NAU BRANCH ON 25th MAY, 2023 AT SECRETARIAT AWKA

The attention of the ASUU NAU has been drawn to the false claims by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige that ASUU members in three faculties of the institution namely: Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Clinical Sciences and Medicine did not partake in the 2022 ASUU national strike.

Recall that the 2022 ASUU national strike lasted between February 14 and October 17, 2022, and all the academic staff members of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka participated fully in the strike. The claim by Dr Chris Ngige, that lecturers in the aforementioned three faculties did not participate in the strike is false, misleading, dishonourable and unworthy of a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Chris Ngige has cajoled his colleagues in the medical field into the ignoble act of claiming that they were on duty during the pendency of the strike to split the ranks of the union. Lecturers in these three faculties ought to realise that as intellectuals, they have a divine responsibility to defend the truth. The absolute truth is that there was no teaching and consequently no examination was conducted throughout the struggle. Dr Ngige’s incurable phobia of ASUU has eclipsed his sense of decency and he has gone ahead to pay his colleagues and probably kinsmen the eight months’ arrears of salaries without any verifiable evidence of the work purportedly done during the period.
The big question is, what is in it for NGIGE?
This obvious action of ‘divide and rule’ bespeaks the usual (Dis) honourable Minister’s insensitivity to the plight of universities in a country where every institution and every household has become a municipality. It is sad and most unfortunate that Dr Chris Ngige and his collaborators have continued in their shameful and ignoble acts against the growth of public Universities even at the twilight of their administration. ALL LECTURERS at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka participated in the 2022 ASUU National Strike, Period.

For the records, there are concrete and verifiable evidences from memos and publications from the university that counter the false and trumped up claims of the minister, as evidenced in various memos of the university administration relating to the closing and re-opening of the University consequent upon the strike. Chris Ngige need to purge himself of personal animus towards ASUU.

Comrade Stephen Ufoaroh Comrade Peter Okoye
Chairperson Secretary