‘Varsity lecturers set for indefinite strike, unless…’ – ASUU
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that its members in universities across the country will embark on an indefinite industrial action soon, unless the Federal Government implements the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it reached with the union last year.
A statement jointly signed by the chairman of ASUU in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Dr Biodun Olaniran, and Secretary, Dr Toyin Abegunrin, after the congress of the union held, Monday, expressed worry over continued failure by the government to fully implement contents of the agreement.
“Our union, ASUU, is using this medium to call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria once again to implement the agreement it signed with ASUU. It is unfortunate to mention that the FG signed an agreement with the ASUU since 2009, but the agreement is not implemented till date.
“The agreement was renegotiated in the name of peace. But to our dismay, the government has refused to sign the renegotiated agreement. In order to make the implementation of the agreement easy for the FG, the union has limited its demand to only three.
“These include the signing/implementation of the renegotiated agreement of 2009; and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Software instead of the controversial IPPIS,” the statement read.
The union said, therefore, it has resolved to embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to accede to its demands within a certain period of time, adding that members were also of the the same mindset of a embarking on a strike.
While asking Nigerians to prevail on the government to avert the impending strike, the union said it had allowed many stakeholders to talk to the government, which had portrayed the union as a dog, which could only bark but could not bite.
Meanwhile, it would be recalled that National President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Oshodeke, had, last week, urged the Federal Government to honour the intervention of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIRC) in the crisis.
He said the union did not trust the regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari to honpur the contents of the agreement reached between the union and the Federal Government, even as he explained that the union decided to embark on mobilisation across the universities so as to intimate students and lecturers on its demands and possible decision.
“The mobilisation started last week and it is for two weeks. Each branch is expected to pick a day and have theirs. Then, we will meet and collate all the findings and address the press. The National Executive Council will meet and take a decision going forward.
“The mobilisation started before NIREC’s visit to the President. Until we see action, we don’t believe the Federal Government; it cannot be trusted.
“The President and the government should respect the highest religious body in the nation, the NIREC; they should honour the organisation and implement the agreement we reached with it in line with the intervention of NIREC. This is also in the interest of our children; all their children are abroad, but our children are here on the streets; the government should implement the agreement so that there will be no distortion in the system.”
