ASUU: Strike continues, FGN is insincere -ASUU Chairman
By Busolami Idowu
Contrary to report that the strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) might soon come to an end has been dispelled by ASUU 89 days after the started
The indication came up despite the intervention by Vice President Namadi Sambo in bringing the lecturers back to the negotiation table.
The latest update was contained in a statement yesterday by the chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the body, Dr. Karo Ogbinika.
Dr. Ogbinika said that ASUU pulled out of negotiations with the Federal Government, which was represented by Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, last month based on the government’s insincerity and non-commitment to attend to issues agreed to.
The Presidency intervention which called for another round of meetings with Vice President Namadi Sambo last week ended in a stalemate.
University lecturers are seeking improved funding for the education sector and the payment of their N87 billion earned allowances which has been agreed with FGN since 2009. The government has however offered N30 billion for the earned allowances.
The Government also promise to make as much as N100billion available for projects on the campuses. ASUU has repeated rejected the offer on the ground that FGN will not honour the remaining part of the bargain in the long run.
“After the meeting on September 19 with the Vice-President, it is clear that the Federal Government is merely paying lip service to education in Nigeria and deceiving the public on its commitment to its transformation agenda.
“The Nigerian people should not be deceived. How can there be a meaningful transformation when the education sector is neglected and gradually taken over by private entrepreneurs, including government functionaries who are busy building private universities with stolen funds in and outside Nigeria. Can these universities be truly called private?”
“ASUU is assuring Nigerians that it will not back out in its struggle to ensure that the government is made to do what is right in the education sector. This is a commitment that all members of the union have vowed to pursue to its logical conclusion.”
The strike has been on since July 1 2013 and ASUU insist the strike must continue.
