By Buba Gagigo
The University faculty and staff association’s strike planned for today is underway, but examinations scheduled by the management failed to proceed.
Members of the faculty and staff association at a press conference on Tuesday announced their plan to commence an indefinite sit-down strike on 1stJuly, until their demands are met. They added that the University semester exams scheduled on the same date [today] would not hold as scheduled.
In a statement, the University Vice Chancellor on Wednesday issued a statement denouncing the planned industrial action by the association and further assured that exams will proceed as scheduled.
“Management condemns such action in the strongest possible terms and wishes to assure the students that exams will proceed as scheduled. Failure to administer exams by UTG staff from 1st July to 15th July 2021 would constitute an act of gross misconduct with grave consequences. Management therefore urges all HoDs [Heads of Department], Deans and Faculty Officers to complete all the exam logistics as soon as practicable,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
However, much to the dismay of the innocent students, the decision of the staff association finally prevailed over that of the management; although the latter is in charge of the university.
Some of the key demands of the staff association are: The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology [MoHERST] to fully pay the D150M arrears it owed UTG; Dissolution of the Interim Governing Council and replace it with a ‘substantive’ one after 4 years; UTG registrar to completely handover Human Resource administration to UTG HR Director and the later to report to the Deputy Vice Chancellor and/or the Vice Chancellor; replacement of retired or Acting Deans and Heads of Department; the position of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Admin & Finance be advertised; the advertisement of the position of the Vice Chancellor be halted until due procedures are followed, etc.