ASUU TO FG: Attend to our demands; pity children of ordinary Nigerians

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to quickly attend to their demands noting that they are tired of ongoing strike action.

This was contained in a statement issued at a press conference on Friday by the Akure Zone of the Union which comprised Chairman of the Federal University of Technology Akure, Dr Olayinka Awopetu, Ekiti State University, Dr Kayode Arogundade, Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr Adeola Egbedokun and Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Dr. Gabriel Omonijo.

In the statement ASUU said that the lingering industrial action of the union was to get the FG to fulfil the agreement of 2013 and 2019 and not primarily about Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS).

ASUU also urged the federal government to pity the children of Nigerians attending public schools who have been sitting at home due to the strike action embarked upon by the union.

The statement added; “For the avoidance of doubt, our issues remain; funding for revitalization of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, visitation panels to universities and renegotiation of 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement. Since 2009, we have conscientiously approached the government to be faithful to implement the agreement it freely entered into with the union. The current struggle derives from this history.

READ ALSO: FG, ASUU yet to reach agreement —Ngige

“We are tired of the strike. Our children are attending the public institution and it is sad that those frustrating our agitations, their children are not attending schools in Nigeria. It is so unfortunate. FG is intentionally starving us for our members to compromise and resume.

“Our students have stayed home for almost a year, we are not the cause, we started our strike before COVID-19 and those students are fed up and it was part of what contributed to #EndSARS and the FG realised that. They are now calling for negotiations that they turned down months back.

“The students during #EndSARS they also included End bad governance. I know that students in Kwara State University gave FG two weeks ultimatum to sort the issue with ASUU else they will hit streets with protest, that scared the government and they are rushing us to resume,” the statement added in part.

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