Universities to stay shut as ASUU mulls indefinite strike, says govt not serious

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of indifference amid its ongoing industrial action that has kept Universities across the country shut.

ASUU Chairman, Emmanuel Osodeke, on Sunday, noted that the union did not receive any notice of meeting from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Following the expiration of its warning strike, the academic staff body stated it would deliberate on the next course of action.

Last Friday, it was reported that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, promised to meet with ASUU this week during a meeting with the striking National Association of Academic Technologists.
This week also marks the end of the ASUU’s two month-long strike.

Osodeke said, “We have not received any notice of meeting from them (FG). They didn’t call us. We are not begging them to meet with us and we will not go to them if they do not invite us. It’s part of his (Ngige’s) political campaign, we didn’t receive any invite.

READ ALSO:Old video emerges of Buhari chiding GEJ for not tackling ASUU strike while wasting money on frivolous projects

“If we do not hear from them, our National Executive Council will meet at the expiration of this week.

“You can’t solve the little problem in your ministry and you want to go and rule the country, he is making fun of us, how did they raise the money. I’m tired of this country, they are not serious. We are not politicians, what we want them to do is take up the education system.

“Nigerians should vote for people who will take care of the system, education system, take care of them. It is about the Nigerian people, it is not about ASUU, when Nigerians take over this struggle, we will go back to class and it is in their hands to elect the best people to government.”

ASUU’s demands include the release of university revitalisation money, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, the release of earned allowances for university professors, and the implementation of the UTAS payment platform for the payment of university lecturers’ wages and allowances.

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