The Federal Government has directed vice-chancellors of all Federal universities currently on strike to immediately re-open for academic and allied activities as directed by their pro-chancellors on Tuesday.
The Committee of Pro-chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities had on Tuesday, unanimously ordered immediate re-opening of universities across the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the committee meeting to discuss the protracted strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other issues affecting the Nigerian university system, and signed by its Chairman, Professor Kimse Okoko, the Pro Chancellors said the decision to re-open the universities was unanimously agreed by all pro-chancellors in the overall interest of all concerned.
The pro-chancellors, in the communique, directed all vice chancellors to comply with the committee decision. The pro-chancellors were said to have reached the decision following findings that over 60 percent of ASUU members have voted in favour of suspension of the over four months old strike.
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of State for Education, in a statement he read at a press conference in Abuja said the decision of the pro-chancellors must be carried out.
The Minister also asked the vice-chancellors to ensure that staff who resume for work are provided with the enabling environment to carry out academic activities.
The Minister said any staff who failed to resume on or before December 4, 2013 automatically ceases to be a staff of the institution and that vice-chancellors are allowed to advertise vacancies for their positions in their institutions.
The Minister said this step became necessary because