Abakaliki — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU) chapter, yesterday announced the commencement of an indefinite strike action to press home its demands for improved condition of service.

Addressing a press conference at the university's Campus in Abakaliki, the ASUU-EBSU Chairman, Dr. Emeka Nwakpu said the strike was also in pursuance of payment of Consolidated Universities Accelerated Salary Structure (CONUAS) 1, 11 and 111, establishment of Pension Scheme for EBSU staff, recalling staff who were sacked, terminated, dismissed or converted without due process, as well as release and payment of promotions arrears among other demands.

The ASUU boss said that the strike action was the last resort after several efforts to resolve the issues failed, adding that it took several visits by national officers including the national President of ASUU, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie who finally gave approval for ASUU-EBSU to embark on the strike.

Dr. Nwakpu who was in company of the secretary, Mr. Nick Eke and other members of the executive, regretted that twelve years after EBSU was established by a bill, which he said was hurriedly prepared and has now gone out of tune with conventional university standards, the Council and state Administration were yet to expedite action on its revision while the delay is now being hinged on the death of the Pro-Chancellor, Dr. Emmanuel Oko Isu.

"ASUU-EBSU executive realizing the dangers inherent in having a divided house among itself and given that ASUU NEC have approved that ASUU-UBSU should proceed on strike on 4th January, 2010 decided to release that order without further meetings as directed.

"Though management and council have tried to pay the arrears of 2008 leave allowance and promised to pay some promotion arrears of 2006/2007 session and other promotion arrears, ASUU-EBSU felt that, the major issues have not been addressed," he said.

Dr. Nwakpu urged members to discountenance "the purported congress by a section of people from Abakaliki extraction on 4th January, 2010 opposing the indefinite strike" saying such action was unfortunate.

"Our position is that once ASUU NEC has mandated a branch to carry out any directive, no branch has the right to compromise such directives when nothing much has changed and that is what ASUU-EBSU Executive has tried to do. Meanwhile, the strike is still on and it is comprehensive, total and indefinite," he declared.

However, when contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Mr. Larry Uduu said that the strike was ill conceived and unjustified, noting that it was only a section of ASUU that was bent on disrupting the smooth academic progress of the university, while majority of the members during ASUU congress on 4th January, 2010 distanced themselves from the strike action.

Uduu said that ASUU executive had met with the university authorities where upon the authorities handed to the association a list of things it has done so far towards addressing the demands of ASUU.

He said that ASUU had scheduled a meeting for 4th January to inform the congress of the development after which the congress would decide to continue with the strike action or the shelve it, but regretted that all the members of executive of ASUU absconded from the meeting only for them to go and declare strike without the consent of the congress.