School reopening: ASUU gives update about ongoing strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it would continue its ongoing strike because the federal government has not made any sincere effort at resolving the industrial dispute.
ASUU on Tuesday, November 3, accused the Nigerian government of carrying out blackmail, intimidation, and falsehood against lecturers, Daily Trust reported.
The coordinator of the Lagos zone of ASUU, Prof Olusiji Sowande told the press in Ogun state that the union would not succumb to the government’s pressure to call off its ongoing strike.
He said:
“Government does not see Education of its citizens as public good but rather unfortunately, as a business.
“While government is committed to using public funds to bail out banks, electricity distribution companies, and airline operators, which are their private investments, the excuse of unavailability of fund for revitalization of our public universities is not acceptable to our Union.”
Sowande pleaded with parents not to think ASUU’s demands were unreasonable.
He warned that if the union does not agitate for more funding of institutions, the cost will be passed to parents and may result in many students dropping out of school.
Meanwhile, the federal government described the condition set by ASUU before it can end its strike as unreasonable.
ASUU had said it would end the strike action after its home-grown University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) passes the federal government’s integrity test.
But the ministry of education said ASUU’s demand is ridiculous because lecturers cannot determine how they should be paid by their employers which is the federal government.
ASUU has been on strike for seven months over the controversial Integrated Payroll Process System (IPPIS) introduced by the federal government among other issues.