Asuu; Asuu speak on what Nigerians will do to avert another strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) has called on well-meaning
Nigerians to caution the Federal
Government to honour its agreement with
the union to forestall further industrial
crisis in the nation’s tertiary education
sector.
The union’s President, Prof. Biodun
Ogunyemi made the call in an interview
with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on
Sunday in Lagos.
Recall that the union’s National Executive
Committee (NEC) had at the end of its
meeting at the Federal University of
Technical Akure (FUTA) in Ondo, on Nov. 4,
2018, declared a ‘total, comprehensive
and indefinite’ nationwide strike.
The strike, was however suspended on Feb.
7, after series of negotiations between the
parties and other concerned stakeholders.
But Ogunyemi told NAN on Sunday that
“Government has not kept faith with our
MOA signed on February 7.
“What government ought to have done,
they do not want to do any more. They
have literally gone to sleep.
“For instance they had promised before the
suspension of the strike, to set up visitation
panel to our universities within two weeks
and three months after government has
not done anything in that regard.
“At least not to my knowledge that they
had put any panel in place nor inaugurate
any.
“By February 28 of this year, government
had promised to pay the union, N25 billion
part payment of outstanding arrears of
the EARN academic allowances.
“Our renegotiation with Dr Wale Babalakin
had promised to put us in a more cordial
path with fair guidelines when we come
back to the renegotiation table but now,
there seems to be no change of attitude on
the side of government.”
According to him, the union has a time-
frame attached to every action, hence the
current call for caution on the part of
government.
He explained that government had told the
union that the funds had been approved,
but Ogunyemi said that there was a huge
difference between approval of such funds
and its implementation.
He said that three months after the said
approval, the funds were yet to get to the
union.
“Our members have begun to express doubts
about government’s promise to fulfill its
pledge faithfully.
“And when this pressure begins to mount
there is nothing the leadership can do
because leadership must hearken to the
voice of followers.
“The point is that we are not keen about
disrupting the academic calendar. What we
are doing is to express our worries and
carry the public along.
“So, Nigerians must come out now and
speak to government concerning all these
things raised to maintain the current
precarious industrial stability on our
campuses ” he said.
He said that though the Minister of
Education, Malam Adamu Adamu had
assured the union that the payment would
soon be done, but he expressed concern
that time was of essence to his members
nationwide.

Asuu president