The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the federal government is yet to begin any dialogue with the union over the ongoing strike.
Why we declare indefinite nationwide strike – ASUU
1. Failure on the side of the government to honour the memorandum of action signed between the union and the federal government in 2017
2. Renegotiation with ASUU which the government intentionally ignored with impunity.
— TVC News (@tvcnewsng) November 4, 2018 
The national president of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, who made this known yesterday evening said the union has placed a memorandum before the government on how universities can be funded, but nothing has been done on it.
“For the minister, we have memorandum placed before them, but nobody is talking about the items there except to say that they cannot meet the union’s demand because of the oil prices.
“We have submitted the report of a joint committee to the minister; on how to generate funds to address the outstanding balance of N1.3 trillion. It is like the minister is not addressing issues raised and the recommendation in the report,” Mr Ogunyemi said.
The union leader said ASUU has not seen any invitation from government to discuss the strike.
“They know how to reach us. That’s not how we’ve been communicating,” Mr Ogunyemi said of an appeal by the education minister last week that the strike be suspended to allow for negotiations.
“The chairman of the negotiating committee, Wale Babalakin came yesterday, begging ASUU to come back to negotiating table. He has not addressed the issue we raised and he has been dancing around the issues.
“There are two issues that we’ve raised. But by his own attitude and actions, it was obvious to that he didn’t want that. That was why we said we have seen enough.
“Our members remain resolute and report we are getting from branches indicate that our members are determined. Government cannot continue to handle education with levity which is the focus for the development of any country. We cannot continue to pretend that we have education when our universities are in terrible condition,” he said.
When has ASUU or other associations ever fought for anything other than themselves? The infrastructures and facilities of our universities are nothing to be happy about. The educational system is in chaos and our methods are archaic.
— Alabi Daniel (@sirdaniel11) November 5, 2018
Mr Ogunyemi said the strike has so far been successful across campuses but for few vice chancellors.
“We have report of one or two crisis where the vice chancellors are trying to give us problems. Like Adekunle Ajasin University, the VC threatened to sack our members and we tried to tell him to go ask from history,” he said.
Efforts to get the education and labour ministries to speak on why no negotiation has started since the strike begun were unsuccessful.
The spokesperson of the education ministry, Willie Bassey, said he has been out of Abuja and could not comment on the matter. Also, the spokesperson of the labour ministry, Samuel Olowookere, did not respond to phone calls and text messages put across to him.
However, earlier last week, the education minister, Adamu Adamu, urged the union to exercise restraint in its demands.
The minister said the demands of the union dated back to 2009 during the administration of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, when Nigeria had not yet entered into a recession.
Mr Adamu noted that the government would improve the funding of education when oil price rises and the economy improves.
The post ASUU President, Ogunyemi Slams FG Over Poor Attitude Towards Ongoing Strike appeared first on Naija News.
