Our chapters remain solid, intact, ASUU affirms

By : Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan

Date: 6 September 2022 4:34am WAT

ASUU and FG on negotiation table

[FILES] Federal Government’s team and the National Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

• Says it gave FG 14-month strike notice
• ‘Propaganda and lies of govt have failed’

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday, said that all its chapters that started the over six-month-old strike with the union were intact and resolute to get what public universities need to survive and compete globally from the Federal Government.

The union also stressed that lecturers in the Nigerian public universities had been using their blood to run public institutions and sustain it, adding that it will not sacrifice her members’ welfare and will resist any effort to turn intellectuals to slaves of irresponsible leadership.

Chairman, University of Ibadan (UI) ASUU chapter, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, who spoke in Ibadan, asked Nigerians to disregard the lies of the Federal Government of meeting any of the union’s seven demands.

He said the union gave 14-month strike notice to the Federal Government before commencing the industrial action, adding that even the effort of the Nigerian Interreligious Council in 2021 yielded no results before the union was forced to declare the strike on February 14, 2022.

Akinwole, who hinted that the N1.1trillion for revatilisation of universities was not for lecturers in public universities, said the amount was arrived at by Federal Government through her NEEDS Assessment report on the level of decay in Nigerian public universities.

He thanked ASUU members for sacrificing and remaining resolute to reposition public varsity education in Nigeria.

“If ASUU does not go on this struggle, there will be no university for new people to attend. In the last 25 years, the Federal Government will not spend money on their university unless ASUU goes on strike. Does that show they are responsible? I am also a parent and my children are at home with me. Most lecturers have to spend their money on their students’ project for them to graduate. I could give you numbers of some of my students who can tell you how much I have spent to support their projects. Lecturers retain Nigerian public universities with their blood.”