Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (ASUU-UNIZIK), Awka branch, yesterday, told students of the university and others nationwide to blame the Federal Government of Nigeria if the union embarks on another long strike nationwide.
The union made their position known when they joined their counterparts nationwide to protest the government’s failure to sign the agreement with the union over the past two years.
The leaders, in their respective remarks, expressed the union’s readiness to embark on another strike soon if nothing is done to honour their agreement with the federal government.
Addressing a press conference at the ASUU-UNIZIK Secretariat in Awka, yesterday, before the protest, the Chairman of ASUU-UNIZIK, Professor Kingsley Ubaorji, regretted that two years after they were appealed to return to the classrooms, the federal government has yet to attend to their demands.
According to Prof. Ubaorji, “In the year 2022, ASUU was on strike for eight months. Public universities in Nigeria were shut down, and students were sent home because the federal government of Nigeria refused to address ASUU’s demands as contained in the renegotiated 2009 agreement, which the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities had with them.
“ASUU suspended the strike because our union is very civil, law-abiding, and has respect for the rule of law. This is two years later, and the Federal Government has refused to sign that agreement with our union.
To be honest with you, comrades and esteemed members of the press, our union (ASUU) held an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, the 8th of June, 2024. Our union observed that the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu was yet to fully engage with the union to address all outstanding issues with ASUU decisively.
“As you are aware, many of these issues have outlived successive governments without any resolution, and other issues have been created by consecutive governments as well, like the implementation of the IPPIS, which came with the Muhammadu Buhari administration. Historically, the government has made commitments and signed agreements with ASUU, detailing timelines and expectations of both parties aimed at developing Nigerian universities as conditions for suspending any strike action. As soon as lecturers resumed, the government and other stakeholders returned to the status quo.
“ASUU would again start writing letters and reminders to the government, which were most often ignored, resulting in another strike action by ASUU.
It may interest the general public, especially Nigerian students, to know that through ASUU struggles, Nigerians have enjoyed some benefits, therefore, the Federal Government should be held responsible for another loomimng long strike very soon if ASUU demands are not met.
