But following criticisms across the country of the December 4 ultimatum he handed down to ASUU to call off the strike or risk mass sack, the President says government may review its stance.
He spoke in Yenagoa late Friday at the Bayelsa State PDP Caucus meeting.
The President is from that state.
Responding to an observation by his former boss, Chief Diepreye Alamieyesigha, that the deadline given the lecturers coincides with the burial of Professor Festus Iyayi who died in the course of resolving the dispute, President Jonathan said the leadership of ASUU showed utter contempt to his person and office.
He said never in the history of Nigeria has the President sat through a labour dispute meeting the type of which he had with ASUU.
He said:"What was expected, having met with the highest authorities in the land for long hours, was for ASUU to immediately issue a statement within 12 or latest 24 hours to state their position whether they were accepting government's offer or not. And if they are not accepting, they should state the reason for that.
"But despite the fact that I had the longest meeting with ASUU in my political history, we did not start that meeting until around 2 pm and the meeting ended the next day in the early hours of the morning."
He said ASUU has ceased to act like a trade union.
"I have intervened in other labour issues before now. Once I invite them, they respond and after the meeting they take decision and call off the strike.
"At times we don't even give them a long notice unlike in the case of ASUU that was given four days notice before the meeting. As you are meeting to resolve trade disputes, you expect the trade unions to get their officials ready.
"As far as the government of Nigeria was concerned, all the critical people that should be in a meeting were there, so what else do they want?
"After that, they didn't meet until one week, despite the fact that you met with the highest authority. It was unfortunate one of them, Prof. Iyayi died.
"The way ASUU has conducted the matter shows they are extreme and when Iyayi died, they now said the strike was now indefinite. Our children have been at home for over five months."
He said the ultimatum was proposed by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and that the Supervising Minister of Education merely "passed on the decision."
He promised to hold consultation on the deadline "so that we will not be perceived to be insensitive."
Focusing on the PDP caucaus meeting, he urged unity in the party, stressing that without unity it would be difficult to achieve much in 2015.
The state chairman of the party, Colonel Samuel Inokoba (rtd), who presided at the meeting dismissed the G7 governors as the voice of anarchy who were out to destroy what the nation's founding fathers started.
He urged all stakeholders in the state to continue to support the President as he faces the daunting task of ruling the country as well as the governor.
Alamieyesigha described the recent defection of five PDP governors to the APC as "a national embarrassment."
The meeting started on Friday night and ended in the early hours of yesterday.
Meanwhile, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), are set to resume academic activities tomorrow.
They made the announcement in separate statements in Nsukka and Enugu yesterday.
The Registrar of the UNN, Anthony Okonta, said that "normal academic activities would resume immediately."
He asked students who have pending examinations for the 2012/2013 session to report to their respective faculties and departments in Nsukka and Enugu campuses.
The ESUT Registrar, Chris Igbokwe, also advised students and academic and non- academic staff to report to the institution on December 2.
He advised students to return to their campuses at Agbani and Enugu campuses as the second semester examination would commence on Monday, December 9.
The Federal Government, on Thursday, directed all federal universities to resume work on or before December 4.
The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, said ASUU members who fail to report for duty that day should consider themselves fired.
0 100000:
Post a Comment