Lecturers at the Imo State University, Owerri, have vowed not to grade or assess examination scripts of students who participate in examinations being conducted during the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The Chairperson of the ASUU-IMSU branch, Stephen Oguji, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Owerri on Saturday.
Oguji said the union remained committed to ensuring that students did not graduate through a process whose integrity could be questioned.
He condemned the conduct of examinations at the university while the ASUU strike was ongoing, describing the development as unacceptable to the union.
According to him, the lecturers responsible for teaching, assessing and grading the students are currently on strike.
He explained that the examinations being conducted were neither set nor administered by the lecturers and, consequently, would not be graded or evaluated by them.
“We do not wish students to jeopardize their examinations. We do not want them to lose their academic session, most importantly, we do not want them to graduate through a process whose credibility may later be questioned,” Oguji stated.
The ASUU chairman maintained that the students’ real adversaries were not their lecturers but those in positions of authority who had the power to resolve the issues that triggered the strike.
He urged the students to support the union in demanding the implementation of the Federal Government’s 2025 agreement with ASUU on university funding.
“Dear Students, your true adversaries are not the lecturers. We are advocating for an educational system that functions effectively for you, for us and future generations.
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“Therefore, instead of opposing your lecturers, join forces with us. Engage with those who possess the authority to resolve this crisis. Urge the government to implement the agreement and bring an end to the strike,” he added.
Oguji said the lecturers were willing to return to the classrooms, stressing that they wanted examinations to be properly conducted and students to graduate with “pride and legitimacy.”
He appealed to the relevant authorities to implement the agreement, which he said was aimed at improving the working conditions of university lecturers and addressing challenges affecting the education sector.
