by ‘Jola Sotubo

Students all around the country are in a fix as to whether they should obey the Federal Government’s order to resume school or to stay at home as advised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The FG has directed that all tertiary institutions across the country should open their gates for the commencement of academic activities on Monday, December 9.

However, the academic body has advised that the order be ignored and has also urged parents to keep their wards at home where they are guaranteed to be safe.

Daily Independent reports:

Investigations conducted by Sunday Independent at the weekend revealed that the students are in a fix whether to honour the directive by the Federal Government, ordering authorities of university across the country to open their gates for the commencement of academic works or not.

Following the directive by the Federal Government that  authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have announced resumption date for the students of the institution.

The management in a two-paragraph statement issued and signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the management of the university, has announced Sunday December 8 as the resumption date for the 2012/2013 rain semester.

Accordingly, students of the university are expected to come into residence on the above date, as lectures will commence immediately.

But, Chairman, OAU ASUU branch, Professor Adegbola Akinola, had declared that the union would continue with the strike until the government meets their demands.

Akintola, speaking on telephone on Saturday, said the union would continue with the strike as government was yet to officially notify it, detailing the evidence of payment.

At press time, some foreign students who did not travel down to their base were seen loitering around the campus, while few of those in the final year were seen returning to campus in compliance with the government directive.

Those that spoke with Sunday Independent said they heard the directive and complied by returning to school for normal academic work.

Olatunji Agboola, a final year student of Political Science, said he was returning to campus to allow him prepare for the examination, adding that they had spent much time at home doing nothing.

He explained: “We are tired of staying at home. It is our prayer that the directive works and ASUU complies with it since the government said it had met the condition set for it by the union”.

By this, academic activities are gradually picking up on the campus though not as expected.

Meanwhile, academic activities was yet to resume at the University of Benin as at Friday despite directive by the institution’s authority asking all the academic staff to resume academic work last week Monday.

A statement issued by the Registrar of the University, Mrs. Grace Ogboghodo, last week, stated that “in line with the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria, all academic staff of the University of Benin are advised to resume for duty on Tuesday December 3, 2013.

“For the avoidance of doubt, attendance register will be made available in the office of the respective Dean/ Director for all academic staff to sign as an attestation to their resumption”, the statement added.

But, the UNIBEN ASUU,while reacting to the directive, stated that in spite of the announcement by the university authorities on Monday, which called on students and academic staff to resume duties, there was no sign that lecturers and students would heed the call for now.