Union says no plans to go on strike

September 14, 2016 6:40 PM

Ben Ugheoke has assured Nigerians that there would be no strike and has denied ever issuing notice of an interim strike slated for October 2.

University of Abuja

An official of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has disclosed that the Union has no plans of commencing an interim strike on October 2.

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Speaking with Premium Times today, September 14, the Chairman of the University of Abuja chapter of ASUU, Ben Ugheoke, said that he was wrongly quoted on the rumoured strike.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reportedly quoted Mr Ugheoke on Tuesday, September 13, that lecturers strike was to commence in October.

Mr. Ugheoke said:

“A certain reporter in NAN is responsible for this damage. As a result of this falsified report, I am facing a panel later tonight from ASUU National body.”

The Chairman revealed that he has asked for the refutation of the story since it was published.

“I have reached out to the NAN reporter and he told me it was a mix-up. He also begged me to save his job,” he said.

The reports of the impending strike were widely circulated by the Nigerian media where Mr Ugheoke was quoted to have said that ASUU would be embarking on a one-week warning strike on October 2.

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The report added that a full blown strike was set for November if the federal government refused to meet the demands from its negotiations with the union in 2009 and 2013.

Mr Ugheoke denied issuing notice for any strike, blaming the false news on a NAN reporter.