Owerri – The Imo House of Assembly has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities of Imo State University, Owerri, to call off its on-going strike in the interest of students.
The assembly made the appeal in Owerri on Wednesday following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Ugonna Ozurigbo (APC-Nwangele).
Ozurigbo stressed the need to end the strike to avoid prolonging the academic programmes of students of the institution.
He urged ASUU to emulate the Nigerian Labour Congress and call off the strike so that it could resume negotiations with the state government.
“I urge ASUU to emulate their umbrella body which is the NLC and call off this strike and negotiate with the state government for more favourable terms,” he said.
Ozurigbo also suggested that a third party should mediate between the state government and ASUU to find a lasting solution to the problem.
The deputy speaker also called on the assembly to invite the leadership of ASUU for discussion on the matter.
He also urged the house to set up a committee for a peaceful resolution of the strike.
Supporting the motion, Dr Uche Oguwuike (APC-Ikeduru) noted that prolonging the strike would affect final year students of Law in the university.
Oguwuike said applications for placement in the Nigerian Law Schools would be submitted by August and IMSU students might be left out since the second semester had not even commenced.
He appealed to ASUU to go back to work whilst negotiations would go on in the interest of the students.
The Speaker, Mr Iheanacho Ihim, set up a five-member committee to be chaired by Dr Uche Ejiogu (APC- Ihitte Uboma). .
He urged the committee to suggest solutions to the strike and report back to the house on June 1, 2016. (NAN)