No end in sight: The strike is far from over – ASUU

by ‘Jola Sotubo

Contrary to optimistic reports that it might soon come to an end, the management of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that the academic strike, which it embarked on 89 days ago, will continue.

This latest update on the strike, which has crippled academic activities in universities across the country, was given  in a statement yesterday by the chairman of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the body, Karo Ogbinika.

This is in spite of the intervention by Vice President Namadi Sambo in bringing the lecturers back to the negotiation table.

 Dr. Ogbinika reportedly 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.

He said the Presidency intervened, calling for another round of meetings with Vice President Namadi Sambo last week which, according to ASUU, also ended in a stalemate.

The teachers are seeking proper funding of education and the payment of their N87 billion earned allowances.

These are part of the 2009 agreement between the teachers and the government. The government has offered N30 billion for the earned allowances and made available N100billion for projects on the campuses. The lecturers rejected the offer. The strike has been on since July 1.

The union said it was disappointed because it hoped the Presidency’s intervention would dampen the tension the strike had generated; but, rather, the government was re-echoing the same stance by Suswam, which was why ASUU withdrew from the negotiation.

ASUU said: “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 union said it had reported back to its various zones many of which still insisted the strike must continue.”

One comment

  1. Asuu might sound like a word that does not exist in the mind of farmers and some countries except USA that is considered to know most things about other countries.To students of Nigerian universities,Asuu is a word that could cause panics in the minds of students and some times lead to suicide and bored way of living.When this so called Asuu embark on a strike,Nigerians students some times feels they have voted in good leaders that can quickly deliver them from the strike but it is unfortunate that we got leaders who prefer to play politics than solving the problem.Since Asuu went on their indefinite strike,several meetings has been held but yielded no good result,some times we students wonder whether they do go there to find a way forward or they just go to argue and drink beer.After their so called meeting is been held and concluded,the federal government negotiation team will use some political words just to calm the students down and such words include:Asuu will soon called off the strike, Asuu set to called off their strike, Asuu strike may end soon,Asuu strike will be called in the next two weeks, Asuu strike might end next week and the media will use that opportunity to publish their news thereby giving students hope what a country! Nigerian students has become hopeless because NANS that should have been fighting for the entire students using protest as a fighting weapon might have been bought by either the federal government or Asuu, on the other hand the new pdp who are now giving Mr president their conditions for peace in their party might have forgotten to include Asuu strike in their conditions.The only thing i can tell Nigerian students is that they should keep on praying because every start has an end,God will end Asuu strike for us.

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