Lecturers at the Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma, Bayelsa State have persisted with the strike due to the state government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU on October 30, 2024.
Chairman of NDU’s ASUU chapter, Dr Oyinkepreye Bebeteidoh, confirmed the union’s stance, stating unsettled issues of inadequate funding, poor working conditions, and unresolved salary structures as the reasons for the strike.
Bebeteidoh who spoke after a union meeting held in Yenagoa, emphasized that their commitment to the strike shows their unwavering dedication to the future of education in Bayelsa State, adding that it is a struggle not just for the rights of their members but for the quality of education that their students deserve.He said, “We cannot, in good conscience, return to the classroom under the current circumstances.”
Recall that the strike, which began on December 10, 2024, has put on hold academic activities at the university with lecturers demanding the implementation of a 25%/35% salary increment for members, with arrears paid from January 2023 to date.
Furthermore, on the issue of Minimum wage, ASUU noted the consequential adjustments and immediate implementation of the N80,000 minimum wage for members while also demanding for full implementation and payment of arrears dating back to 2018.
He buttressed on the need for payment of promotion arrears from 2018 to date, provision of residential accommodation to reduce the burden and risks of commuting, recruitment of additional academic staff and the continuous funding for accreditation requirements.
To prevent the strike from getting longer, the union underlined how urgently the state administration must adhere to the conditions of the October 2024 Memorandum of Understanding. While acknowledging the difficulties the strike had caused students and their families, Bebeteidoh maintained that the action was required to create a fair and long-lasting educational system.
The government now has the upper hand, he said, because the longer it takes to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, the more dire the consequences will be for students, teachers, and the Bayelsa State education system as a whole.
In order to end the crisis and return the institution to normal, the ASUU leadership urged the government to act with integrity in addressing the urgent issues.
