President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has been slammed as mentally lazy and suffering from a military hangover, ordering vice-chancellors to reopen federal universities nationwide.
Specifically, Laja Odukoya, ASUU zonal coordinator in Lagos, accused the Buhari regime of trying to force striking lecturers back to class against their will.
The regime had since cancelled its order but not before the ASUU condemned what it described as its dictatorial tendency and disregard for the rule of law.
Earlier on Monday, Mr Buhari’s regime, through the National Universities Commission, ordered vice-chancellors to reopen the universities.
“Members of the Senate of these universities are members of ASUU, hence, they are on strike,” said the ASUU coordinator in an article obtained by Peoples Gazette on Monday. “Is it not a case of mental lethargy of the government to think that the VCs and pro-chancellors can reopen the public universities without recourse to the Senate of these universities?”
Censuring the regime for trying to force the hands of the vice-chancellors, Mr Odukoya argued that the regime’s order was “contemptuous.”
“Is the order to forcefully ‘open’ the universities when the matter is still in the court; appeal and stay of execution filed, not contemptuous of the court?” Mr Odukoya reasoned. “This is clearly a replica of, or a hangover from, a typical military administration, and never anything characteristic of the civility that garnishes democracy and its accompanying rule of law.”
He further described the Buhari regime as “desperate and insensitive” to the plight of the lecturers and other Nigerians.
“First, a government with legendary contempt for the rule of law and passionate intimacy with lawlessness has no shame rushing to the National Industrial Court (NIC) to ‘procure’ a judgment in frontal assault and contravention of due process and legality,” the ASUU coordinator stressed. “The government succeeded in securing an unjust injunction with which it seeks to force ASUU members to the classrooms on (an) empty stomach.”
On Monday evening, the NUC reversed its order that vice-chancellors should reopen universities for students to return to school.
Last Wednesday, the National Industrial Court ordered ASUU to suspend its ongoing months-long strike, but the union rejected the ruling and disclosed its plan for an appeal.
