The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said Monday that the strike would now last an indefinite amount of time, breaking with its custom of only extending current industrial action by a defined number of weeks or months.
The union claimed that none of its demands, which were the catalyst for the initial strike’s initiation on February 14th, have been successfully addressed by the administration.
The decision of the ASUU was reached after an urgent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that took place between Sunday and Monday at the union’s national headquarters at the University of Abuja, according to a statement issued by its president, Emmanuel Osodeke, on Tuesday, August 30.
Read Also: Kuje: NCoS Confirms Death Of Inmate In Custodial Centre
The ASUU stated that its current strike is an effort to prevent the public universities in Nigeria from collapsing completely, which it attributed to neglect by previous Nigerian governments.
The lecturers’ union expressed sympathy for the suffering endured by parents and students in Nigeria as a result of the continuing strike.
The union acknowledged that going on strike was a difficult decision that it had to make in order to save the system and public universities. As a result, it enlisted Nigerians’ help and sympathy in its battle.
The union said;
Were it within our control, our universities would never have been shut for one day.
We are all victims. We need the understanding, solidarity and sacrifices of all to ensure that every qualified Nigerian youth who cannot afford the cost of private university education or foreign studies has unhindered access to quality university education. ASUU strikes are aimed at saving public education, and ensuring that governments (Federal and State) use our common patrimony to support quality public university education. This is our collective obligation.
Accusation Of Deceit
ASUU accused the government, particularly the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, of peddling misinformation by claiming that all issues with the union had been resolved except the payment of their salaries.
The lecturers’ union also accused the Nigerian government of deceiving ASUU for the past five and half years that it has been negotiating with them.
It said the government has only engaged them in “fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity.”
ASUU noted that the government’s constitution of different committees to renegotiate the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement was a testament to the government’s lack of will to settle the recurring industrial disputes with the union as well as the funding of public universities.
