ASUU Strike: SERAP Drags FG to UN Body over Failure to Meet Demands

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over “a serious breach of the obligations by Nigeria under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to progressively realize the right to education in accordance with the country’s maximum available resources.”

The group said: “This fundamental breach is due primarily to the persistent refusal by the government to honour their agreement with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).”

In the petition dated 25 October 2013 and signed by SERAP Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group said: “Although the government in 2009 agreed with ASUU to improve the governance structures and funding for the operation of universities across the country to around 26% for the period covering 2009-2020, the terms of the agreement have remained largely unfulfilled.

“Conditions of service for staff members of the country’s universities remain very poor. Further the right of the students to freedom of assembly and association is not fully and effectively respected by the authorities.”

The petition sent to the committee through the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, also stated that, “under international law, Nigeria is required to demonstrate that, in aggregate, the measures being taken are sufficient to realize the right to education for Nigerian children in the shortest possible time using the maximum available resources.”

“However, the continuing refusal by the government to honour agreements with ASUU constitutes a fundamental breach of these obligations, and shows lack of good faith by the government to implement its voluntary international commitments,” the group argued.

According to the group: “One of the best financial investments states can make is education but the Nigerian government’s investment on education for many years has been only a drop in the ocean especially when measured in the light of the country’s accrued revenue from oil, and its maximum available resources. No wonder, then, that the government has persistently failed to improve the infrastructural and academic environment at all levels of education in the country.

“This situation is inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the Covenant as well as the Committee’s own jurisprudence.”

About the Author
Just a cool guy who loves the tech world and the opportunities it presents to this generation. I am an elect/elect engineer but computers,programming and softwares are the things that drives me crazy.Email me: akinyomioluwafemi@gmail.com
LIKE VEECUBED ON FACEBOOK Facebook like
FOLLOW ON TWITTER Twitter Handle