The Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. James Adelabu, has described the strike action declared by a section of the institution’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities as an attempt to destroy the institution.
While recounting his efforts at developing cordial relationship between the University authorities and the Unions within UNIABUJA, Adelabu recalled that his administration had so far offered the Unions sums of monies totaling N11 million as a form of assistance to them.
He said there was no basis for the strike stressing that the University did not owe any of the Unions in the school check-off dues as ASUU claimed.
According to him, the strike action has a political undertone with elements of malice, coming at a time he was already preparing to quit as VC.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja, he alleged that the leadership of ASUU has been boasting openly that they would embarrass his administration with the strike action for reasons he said was best known to them, adding that as a leader, he would refuse to be blackmailed, more so when the striking lecturers knew well that he did not owe their union a penny.
He said, “My administration does not owe ASUU Union a penny. The issue of unpaid check-up dues and others are all tissues of lies told to fool the public. They know I don’t owe them a penny. They have been lying that I opened account somewhere and deposited the University’s money and then they started calling me names. How on earth can they do that? They can go to court if they were sure of their fact.
“This is an allegation taken too far. I am not a thief and I have done so much to revive the University as evident by the building of infrastructure and paying attention to the welfare of everybody. People I don’t even know can testify to this.”
Other heads of Unions within the University also dismissed the motive behind the strike action by ASUU.
They said the striking lecturers had an ulterior plan to use the union to settle personal scores with the Vice Chancellor.
While recounting his efforts at developing cordial relationship between the University authorities and the Unions within UNIABUJA, Adelabu recalled that his administration had so far offered the Unions sums of monies totaling N11 million as a form of assistance to them.
He said there was no basis for the strike stressing that the University did not owe any of the Unions in the school check-off dues as ASUU claimed.
According to him, the strike action has a political undertone with elements of malice, coming at a time he was already preparing to quit as VC.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja, he alleged that the leadership of ASUU has been boasting openly that they would embarrass his administration with the strike action for reasons he said was best known to them, adding that as a leader, he would refuse to be blackmailed, more so when the striking lecturers knew well that he did not owe their union a penny.
He said, “My administration does not owe ASUU Union a penny. The issue of unpaid check-up dues and others are all tissues of lies told to fool the public. They know I don’t owe them a penny. They have been lying that I opened account somewhere and deposited the University’s money and then they started calling me names. How on earth can they do that? They can go to court if they were sure of their fact.
“This is an allegation taken too far. I am not a thief and I have done so much to revive the University as evident by the building of infrastructure and paying attention to the welfare of everybody. People I don’t even know can testify to this.”
Other heads of Unions within the University also dismissed the motive behind the strike action by ASUU.
They said the striking lecturers had an ulterior plan to use the union to settle personal scores with the Vice Chancellor.
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