By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
For the umpteenth time, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Federal Government of insincerity in dealing with the Union to resolve the lingering issues that lead to incessant strike actions by university lecturers.
This is even as ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke has said that the Union is tired of signing Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) which was in 2021 renamed Memorandum of Action (MOA), adding that it is time to match words with action.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily on Monday on the “One Month Nationwide Warning Strike”, Professor Osodeke revealed that government is yet to come to agreement with ASUU hence the strike will continue.
According to him: “No agreement has been reached between FG and ASUU to resolve the issues at stake because President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to some persons in the government negotiating team was not obeyed by the government team”.
“This is sad because months after Mr. President made a pledge on February 1, 2022 when he received members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) led by the Co-Chairs, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev’d. Samson Ayokunle nothing has happened to suggest that government wants to resolve these issues”.
The ASUU President alleged that those appointed by President Buhari to negotiate with ASUU including the Ministers of Education; Labour and Productivity as well as the Chief of Staff to the President are not interested in the quick resolution of the FG/ASUU imbroglio.
“It must be said that one month after Mr. President appointed a team to look into ASUU complaints, nobody from the federal government side talked to us (ASUU) on the matter at hand. We are not surprised because the children and wards of government officials are in the schools abroad”.
“They send their children abroad while they leave Nigerian universities in bad shape. Look, if not for the war in Ukraine who would have known that over 5,000 Nigerian students are in the little known Ukraine”, Professor Osodeke said.
On the threats by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), ASUU boss said the students have right to protest, insisting that they are also not getting a better deal from the government.
Said he; “are Nigerian students better of today. The answer is no. If they are living in the campus hostels they will not be made to pay extra accommodation fees by university authorities after ASUU strike actions”.
He however expressed doubts over the ability of the Federal Government to resolve the lingering crisis in the education sector, particularly in Nigerian universities, pointing out that the onus is now on the government to take action as ASUU is tired of signing MOU and MOA.
The main cause of work stoppages by ASUU is the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, reached between the Federal Government and the union in 2008 which was never implemented. After series of strikes which always ended with the FG giving assurances during the negotiations, ASUU went on one of its most protracted strikes in March 2020, just before the Coronavirus pandemic lock-downs.
The union eventually called of the strike in December 2021 after the unimplemented MOU was renamed Memorandum of Action, MOA.
