By Oluwakemi Ishola
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday says the Union is not ready to suspend its ongoing strike until government pays outstanding three-to-seven months witheld salaries, approve University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) among other demands.
ASUU in a released by the Zonal Cordinator of the Ibadan Zone of the Union, Professor Ade Adejumo, lambasted the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige for lying that government was not owing lecturers any salary on a Channels TV program anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.
According to ASUU, federal government agencies have been footdragging on early resolution of the ongoing strike anchored on implementation of outstanding components of 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, revitalisation funding of Universities, unpaid earned academic allowances and renegotiation of the agreement for upward review of salaries of lecturers to conform with contemporary reality.
ASUU stated that postcolonial Nigerian governments’ attack on the Education sector contributes to the under development of the nation adding that this is why the government has become a shadow of itself.
“It should be noted that ASUU went on strike as a result of the combination of three inter-related factors: Nigerian governments’ increasing anti-labour policies and the history of sabotage in the education sector and the government’s refusal to honour the Agreement reached with the union for revitalisation of public sector universities.”
Professor Adejumo added that “ASUU is particularly disappointed because we assumed that government’s public outlook was based on the anti-corruption constantly orchestrated by this government.”
The ASUU boss lashed out at the Buhari led Government for being insensitive to education and for the inhuman treatment of lecturers and the knowledge industry.
“Attention of the Ibadan Zone, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been drawn to the interview held on 29th September, 2020 with Channels Television Station anchored by Seun Okinbaloye on Politics Today with Dr Chris Ngige, the honourable minister of labour and employment, and we wish to state as follows: We are pained and disturbed that the honourable minister of labour and employment does not seem to be aware that the salaries of the nations academic staff in the public universities have not been paid for upward of three to seven months For the benefit of Nigerians, ASUU wishes to state that in sharp contrast to president Buhari’s directive on University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) the respective government agencies involved are deliberately delaying its endorsement for implementation. The ministeries involved may wish to know that the inhuman treatment that ASUU is being subjected to has further emboldened us to rescue the soul of Nigeria’s public University education. ”
The Union stated that the ongoing strike will not be called off until government proactively respond to the demands of the Union and make knowledge industry a priority.
“Hence, government and the ministries involved need to do the needful, i.e. meet with ASUU in order for academic activities to resume. The starting point for this is the payment of withheld salaries of academics in Nigeria’s public universities.”
