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Angry that striking
workers of the Abia State University, Uturu have refused to shift
grounds, the state governor, Theodore Orji advised all those
dissatisfied with the conditions of service at the institution to quit.

The governor said
this during a meeting between the state government and major interest
groups in the state seeking to find ways of ending the three-month-old
strike.

Mr Orji said
efforts by his government to ensure that striking staff unions return
to work have been rebuffed by the unions’ leadership, which was why he
decided to invite religious leaders to wade into the matter.

He said federal
institutions are there for lecturers who feel they can no longer stay
in ABSU and called on the lecturers to make concessions towards
resolving the strike in the interest of the students.

The governor said
he had promised to pay 100% of the agreement reached by the unions with
effect from January next year adding that if the unions insist that the
arrears must be paid, he would have to revert to paying only 50%.

He said other
sectors of the state economy must receive attention, adding that the
state has two other tertiary institutions that must also be attended
to. As part of efforts to resolve the impasse, the stakeholders,
including parents, students and the university management arrived at
the conclusion that the striking staff should call off the strike and
accept the state government’s offer.

No wage increase

They equally
agreed that the new wage increase would require an increase in fees
paid by students, but that the increase should not be such that parents
would be forced to withdraw their wards from school as such action
could lead to crime, prostitution and other social vices associated
with frustration and idleness.

The pro chancellor
of ABSU, Joshua Ogbonnaya gave an overview of the steps so far taken by
government to resolve the imbroglio. Bishops and other religious
leaders suggested that a meeting be convened between them and the
striking unions to try to resolve the issues involved.