Looming Strike: ASUU Threatens To Embark On Indefinite Strike Very Soon
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has reiterated that all its members across the country will take industrial action against the Fedaral Government if it fails to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the union last year.
ASUU Chairman in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr Biodun Olaniran, and the Union's Secretary, Dr Toyin Abegurin, jointly disclosed this in a statement released after the union's congress held on Monday, emphasising that the government's failure to fully implement its agreements was a matter of concern to the union.
The union stated that it would embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government fails to succumb to its demands within a stipulated period.
Meanwhile, the union also urged Nigerians to prevail on government to prevent the looming strike; it also claimed to have consulted the government many times over the issue, but not see positive action from government.
According to the statement issued: “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.”
When reacting, Dr Salau Sheu, the Chairman ASUU of Kwara State University, commented that the Presidency was trying to evade its responsibility by charging ministers to oversee the implementation of the MoA
According to him; “It is wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to assign two ministers to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed last year with ASUU. First, the assigned ministers are not part of the agreement. Only the ministers of Finance and Education were part of the agreement. The Federal Government is trying to take away university autonomy through its designed programmes and it is trying to shy away from implementing the resolutions of the negotiations.
“ASUU is having its National Executive Council meeting at the University of Lagos on February 12 and 13. If nothing is done by the government between now and then, the lecturers may go on strike.”
University of ilorin's Chairman of the union, Prof Moyosore Ajao, disclosed that the work- free day will be observed in the branch today.
Also, the Chairman of the union in University of Abuja, Dr Kasim Umaru said: “We are meeting this week, precisely on Wednesday, and we are going to make our own resolutions. The government has failed to honour our demands times without numbers. The plan is to hold our congress on Wednesday, make our own decision and transmit it to the national body".
Meanwhile, a member of the ASUU National Executive Council who preferred anonymity said: “At this point, we have no choice but to go on strike; that is the only language the government understands. We have been going back and forth, but it seems as if they are not ready to listen and do what is right".