ASUU STRIKE: strike continues says ASUU

Rising from its congress at the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday night vowed that the ongoing industrial action by lecturers would not be called off despite release of N100 billion by the Federal Government to ease the burdens in the universities.

The union accused the Federal Government of divide and rule by trying to buy the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and Committee of Vice Chancellors with the recent release of another N30 billion, saying such policy would not divide them.

Coordinator of ASUU in the zone, Sunny Ighalo, insisted that until government adhered strictly to the agreement earlier reached by both parties, the lecturers will not return to the classroom.

“The ASUU has been on a nationwide total and indefinite strike to express its frustration over the continuing reluctance of government to fully implement vital aspects of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement as captured by the MoU of January 2012.

“This struggle, which has now entered its ninth week, is driven by the unshakable resolve of our members to stem the continuing trend with successive governments of Nigeria, to systematically destroy public education through neglect and near total abandonment.

“The strike has indeed moved into a critical stage where government is now applying the instrument of intimidation and blackmail and other gimmicks to undermine the struggle,” Ighalo said.

At the end of their meeting a statement was signed by Chairman of DELSU ASUU, Emmanuel Mordi; Chairman of UNIBEN ASUU, Anthony Moye-Emina; Chairman of AAU ASUU, Fred Esumeh; Chairman of NDU ASUU, Beke Sese; and Ighalo himself.

The lecturers accused government of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians by not meeting their demands as contained in the MoU.

Ighalo insisted that the union was not on strike to make fresh demands, and neither was it ready to renegotiate the existing agreement.

Rather, “We are calling on the government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement it willingly signed with the union in 2009,” he added.

According to him, though N500 billion was expected from the government based on Needs Assessment carried out and contained in the MoU of January 2012 for revitalisation of the universities, government claimed it distributed N100 billion most of which were promissory notes.

He appealed to parents and students to understand

the lecturers’ position, noting that it was to help the education system in the country which had almost collapsed.

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