UNIUYO lecturers threaten indefinite strike over kidnapped colleague

The Academic Staff Union of the University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has given security agencies in the state a 24-hour ultimatum to produce a female lecturer, Dr. Ime Udotong, who was kidnapped on Friday or risk a strike action.

In a peaceful protest around the town campus of the university and Ikpa Road on Tuesday, the protesters, who bore placards with inscriptions such as “Leave lecturers alone; Save UNIUYO from kidnappers – AKSG; AKSG, please help!; UNIUYO lecturers are endangered, and No more abduction of lecturers,” said the protesters were not against the Akwa Ibom State government, but the security agencies for not being alive to their responsibilities.

Addressing pressmen after the strike, the ASUU chairman, UNIUYO Chapter, Mr. Nwachukwu Anyim, said  that not less than 10 of their members have been kidnapped over the past six years.

He added that kidnapping in the state is principally targeted at the members of the university unlike some other states where the menace does not have specific target.

He said, “We have come out to protest the kidnapped of our member. And we declare if our member is not released, I mean Dr. Ime Udotong, within 24 hours from today, members of the Academic Staff Union of the University of Uyo will down tool.

“We will not go to class; we will not teach and will not conduct examinations. We will stay at home, that is our stand and the resolution of ASUU, Uniuyo branch.”