Avert another ASUU strike, lawmaker tells FG
The chairman House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions and member representing Ezza North Ishielu Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon Anayo Edwin-Nwonu, has called on Federal Government and ASUU to hold a frank dialogue to avert another strike by lecturers in Nigerian universities.
ASUU is threatening to embark on a fresh strike over the inability of the Federal Government to meet its demands.
According to Nwonu, the strike if allowed to hold will disrupt the academic calendar of the universities.
The lawmaker stated this in a press release made available to newsmen on Sunday in reference to the strike notice served the Federal Government by ASUU.
He said, “This call is necessary because the epileptic implementation of the academic calendar of our university system arising from intermittent ASUU and other strikes over the years, as well as the COVID-19 lockdown, have drastically reduced the quality of our education and affected the functionality of graduates of Nigerian universities.
“In the same vein, the psychological impact of strikes on our youths is frustrating; and this frustration, in turn, feeds the youth restiveness witnessed in all parts of our country. That fact ultimately contributes to the security challenge we have in Nigeria today.
“Having said that to the Federal Government, I wish to also advise ASUU to be fair and realistic in their demands in view of the economic realities in the country. I appeal to ASUU to be mindful of the fact that there are things the government should do which the economic situation in the country cannot permit now.
“In all, I urge both the F-G and ASUU to factor the interest of our children as well as the realities in our country in the handling of their impeding trade dispute so as to save the country another disruption in the academic system which will only frustrate our youths and compound our problems as a nation.”
Academic activities may be disrupted as ASUU threatens to down tools again
Meanwhile, Academic activities may once again be disrupted in the nation’s public universities as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) dropped hints of it intention to once again embark on another round of strike should the federal government fail to implement the December 22, 2020 Memorandum of Action (MoA).
Speaking with journalists on Benin, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof Fred I. Esumeh reminded that the union only agree to suspend its year long strike following an agreement it signed with the federal government.
Speaking on what he themed “Another Inevitable Round of Crisis in Nigerian Universities”, Prof. Esumeh who was however silent on when lecturers planned to down tools said that “they await the decision of the national body to give the directive.”
The unionist recalled that the previous strike action was commenced on the 23rd of March 2020 as a result of government’s failure to honour the terms of an earlier agreement inked on 7th February 2019 in which the federal government had freely agreed to conclude the details of the renegotiation of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement.
Esumeh accused the federal government of deliberate delay in deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform for university staff and the non-payment of the due tranche of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA),
The zonal coordinator listed other grievances by the teachers to include the non-release of the earlier agreed N40 billion fund for the revitalisation of public universities, the universities, the unwillingness to sign the draft of the renegotiated 2009 agreement, the continued non-payment of promotion arrears, the non-payment of withheld salaries and the non-remittance of deducted check-off dues of the union.
He disclosed that on the 2nd of August, 2021, ASUU and the federal government met over the issues listed above with the Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC), the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and other relevant bodies, all in attendance where the government’s team assured ASUU that all the outstanding issues would have been fully addressed by on the 31st of August 2021.
Esumeh lamented: “Up till this moment, the federal government is yet to implement any of the agreements with the ASUU.”
Notwithstanding the effects of the last strike, the lockdown as a result of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic and the #ENDSARS protest, he insisted that the union will go on strike if the federal government refuses to meet its obligations as it has all it takes to pay up the N40 billion revitalisation fund.
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