*The problem is the will of government to resolve issues, says the Academic Staff Union of Universities

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) has said there is no going back on its decision to continue with its ongoing strike, following Federal Government鈥檚 failure to honour the 2009 agreement.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU President, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria Wednesday, May 12, 2022, in Abuja, FCT.

Osodeke said the academic union took the 鈥榙ifficult decision鈥� after exhausting all avenues available to amicably settle the matter with the Federal Government.

He stated: 鈥淟et me give you an example, because this is where we are getting it wrong, when the airline operators said they were going to stop the flights, the Senate and House of Representatives quickly stepped in.

鈥淭his is because they are affected; they quickly rushed in and addressed the problem, why would they not resolve that of the education sector that is affecting the children of the poor and the ordinary people.”

Odeje also said: 鈥淚f the government is willing to resolve the issues affecting the Nigerians, then there would be no need to go on strike.

鈥樷�淭he problem is the will of government to resolve issues.”

It is recalled that ASUU聽 Monday, May 9 extended its roll-over strike which started on February 14 by 12 more weeks.

The striking lecturers鈥� demands include, funding of the revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.

Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.

Osodeke told NAN that none of these demands had been met by the Federal Government.

The ASUU President further stated: 鈥淎ll the issues that made us to go on strike are still there; that is the revitalisation fund, that is putting more money into universities and revitalising the infrastructure in the universities.

鈥淭here is also the issue of our mode of payments in the universities.

“There is no university in the world where lecturers are paid salaries from the Accountant General鈥檚 Office.”

He as well noted: 鈥淲e have challenged them to provide one, if universities are universal body, why are they doing things differently.

鈥淲e talk of negotiation of agreement, proliferation of universities, among others, so there are lots of issues that they have not resolved.”

According to Osodeke, the government had also refused to accept UTAS that he said had been tested and passed with a scored 99.3 percent.

Osedeke urged the Federal Government to do the needful in order for students of the public universities to return to schools in the country.

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