Speak to govt to fulfil its promises, ASUU begs Nigerians

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to honour its agreement with the union to forestall further industrial crisis in the nation’s tertiary education sector.

The union’s President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi made the call in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Lagos.

Ogunyemi said the government had not fulfilled its agreement with the union since the suspension of strike on February 7.

He added that the government did not do what it ought to have done, saying, “they do not want to do any more. They have literally gone to sleep.

“For instance they had promised before the suspension of the strike, to set up a visitation panel to our universities within two weeks and three months after the government has not done anything in that regard.

“At least not to my knowledge that they had put any panel in place nor inaugurate any.

“By February 28 of this year, the government had promised to pay the union, N25 billion part payment of outstanding arrears of the EARN academic allowances.

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“Our renegotiation with Dr Wale Babalakin had promised to put us in a more cordial path with fair guidelines when we come back to the renegotiation table but now, there seems to be no change of attitude on the side of government.”

He said that three months after the said approval, the funds were yet to get to the union.

“Our members have begun to express doubts about the government’s promise to fulfil its pledge faithfully.

“And when this pressure begins to mount there is nothing the leadership can do because leadership must hearken to the voice of followers.

“The point is that we are not keen on disrupting the academic calendar. What we are doing is to express our worries and carry the public along.

“So, Nigerians must come out now and speak to the government concerning all these things raised to maintain the current precarious industrial stability on our campuses,” he said.

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