ASUU Urge AAU Union Members not to Conduct Forthcoming Exams.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma chapter has warned her members not to participate in the upcoming examination that was planned by the University Management.
This information was obtained via a memo that was recently released and signed by the AAU Chairperson of the Union, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele.
The memo reads thus;
ASUU STRIKE: DON’T CONDUCT STUDENTS’ EXAMINATIONS PLANNED BY THE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Comrades, on behalf of the EXCO of our Union, I thank you for empirically demonstrating the will and strong resolve to sustain the ongoing national strike.
Unequivocally, ASUU, AAU, Ekpoma is still on strike in compliance with the resolutions and directives of the National Executive Council (NEC) of our great Union. I implore you to remain resolute in the struggle to deconstruct the statue of injustice and denial of workers’ right to renumeration for their employment/work erected in the University for a long time. Never pander to the whims and caprices of oppressors and saboteurs who have vowed to truncate the current strike.
The University Administration has not relented in its distasteful and spiteful plan for the Union and the ongoing strike. To actualize the plan to conduct Second Semester Examination (2020/2021 Academic Session) for courses that are yet to be taught by various course lecturers, the University Administration has released examination timetable in breach of the University’s rules and regulations on teaching and examination of students and regulatory/ professional requirements. What a disaster! This is unacceptable to the Union and every believer in, and advocate of justice, fairness and standards. In the Nigerian university system, students must have lectures for, at least, 14 weeks in a semester before examination. This is being rewritten negatively in AAU, Ekpoma.
To achieve the weird plan to conduct examination during ongoing strike by both academic and non-academic staff unions in the University, the University Administration, particularly, the Acting Vice Chancellor has resorted to one-on-one interaction with some members of our Union with a view to making them violate the Union’s resolutions on students’ examination scheduled to commence on Monday, 4th July, 2022. Attempts are being made to coerce academic staff who are members of the Union to participate in the examination through resumption of work in the University, production of faculty or departmental examination timetables, setting of questions for the examination, invigilation of the examination, etc. This is the outcome of the desperation by the University Administration to conduct examination for students during ASUU strike.
Apart from compromising the minimum requirements for students’ lectures, the integrity of the questions that will be administered during the examination without inputs from the course lecturers is questionable. Furthermore, many questions arise. Who will invigilate the examination? Who will mark the examination answer scripts (for paper-based examinations)? Who will compute the results? These are critical considerations for the proposed examination. Obviously, the University Administration has embarked on a wrong journey. No matter how far you have gone on a wrong journey, retreat. Let good reasons prevail!
Comrades, as academics and intellectuals, we cannot be compelled to do what is inappropriate and illegal. In line with the Union’s resolutions on prohibitions during strike, don’t participate in any students’ examination planned or organized by the University Administration during the ongoing strike. It is a taboo and a violation of the resolutions of the Union for members of the Union (Deans, Sub-Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, Examination Officers and others) to participate in any examination (including the forthcoming second semester examination) planned by the University during strike. Please continue to STAY AWAY from the University’s campus or workplace and avoid attendance of any statutory or formal meeting of the University.
For all students’ examinations during the ongoing strike, members SHOULD NOT submit questions for the examinations, invigilate the examinations, mark examination answer scripts or compute results. Members should totally avoid participation in the conduct of students’ examinations. Reports from the Union’s Monitoring Team will be used to investigate and sanction erring members (if any) appropriately.
The current struggle, is a just struggle for our rights, wellbeing and survival as members of a legal trade union. We will triumph. I salute your courage, resilience and steadfastness. Many thanks!
Aluta continua! Victoria ascerta!!
Dr. Cyril Oziegbe Onogbosele
Chairperson, ASUU, AAU, Ekpoma
