ASUU LATEST-FG told to re-open talks with ASUU

The Federal Government has been told to immediately re-open negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). According to the Action Congress (AC), this is necessary to end the strike that has paralysed academic activities in public universities for over two months.

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“Calling off negotiations with ASUU is a wrong step. Whatever the provocation, if at all there is any, by the union, the federal government must go the extra mile to keep negotiations going so as to end the strike,’’ AC said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.



The party described as sheer insincerity on the part of government its preference for decentralised negotiations between the various chapters of ASUU and their governing councils, because the councils do not have the power or the mandate to make any binding commitments on behalf of the government. In any case, even the commitments entered to by the government itself have not been respected!



It said since the issues that precipitated the strike touch on the very future of Nigeria - which is what the education of our children is all about - the FG must be willing to bend over backwards to meet the demands of ASUU, which are very reasonable.

“This is not just about the emoluments of the lecturers, which of course are very important, but also about the state of our public universities, the decaying infrastructure, the empty libraries and laboratories, the dwindling research work and the autonomy of the institutions, just to mention a few.



“Whatever we may be dreaming of achieving as a nation in 2020 or beyond, such dreams will not come to fruition if we continue to pay scant or no attention to the education of those we like to refer to as the leaders of tomorrow. With the way our public universities are today, it is doubtful if they can produce those that will propel the nation to the top of the ladder,’’ AC said.



The party said no efforts should be spared to put university teachers in a good stead to carry out their academic duties effectively, noting that the responsibility with which the teachers are saddled - moulding tomorrow’s leaders - are too critical to be toyed with.



“It is sad that a country where those saddled with less onerous responsibilities are disproportionately rewarded, teachers are left to hold the short end of the stick. Equally sad is the fact that many students are made to rely on handouts because libraries are empty and books are beyond the reach of many. Little wonder then that many of our graduates are simply unemployable, their degrees totally worthless.

“No responsible government will allow this anomaly to go on for a day longer. Nothing can justify the fact that the affected universities have almost lost a whole semester. Enough is enough,’’ AC said.



It said part of the reasons the strike has been allowed to go on is that many of the nation’s public officials have their children in schools outside the country, or at worst in private universities in the country, hence do not give a hoot if the schools are shut down for a year or more.

“If the children of these same people who are eager to cut off negotiations with ASUU for whatever reasons are in the affected public universities, the strike would have been over by now,’’ AC said