Lifestyle

STRIKE: Nigerian govt lacks integrity – ASUU

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday accused the Federal Government of insincerity in addressing issues concerning the country’s education sector.

The union embarked on a 30-day warning strike last Monday following the federal government failure to honour agreements signed by both parties.

The ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, stated this in a statement in Ibadan.

He decried the refusal of the federal government to improve the conditions of ASUU members despite the death of some members.

Akinwole said: “Due to stress arising from failure of the federal government to recruit more staff, ASUU has lost many of her members to death while others have simply moved out of the country in search of greener pastures.

The federal government lacks integrity. It is sad. The government cannot be trusted longer. We have been on the same salary for 13 years and it is even shameful to show anyone your payslip.

“When compared to the work we do, we have sacrificed for Nigeria to the detriment of our wellbeing and this is already dampening the morale of our people.

“Federal government should sign the renegotiated agreement, implement it, roll out UTAS, pay unpaid earned academic allowances, and commit more funds into the revitalization of universities.”

Lifestyle

Nigerian govt concedes to ASUU, constitutes White Paper panels for varsities, others

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The Federal Government has set up a White Paper Drafting Panels for tertiary institutions in the country.

The Director of Press and Media Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ben Goong, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

This came just four days after the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) embarked on a 30-day warning strike over the federal government’s failure to honour agreements signed by both parties.

The union has demanded the release of the findings of visiting panels set up by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021 to look at problems in the country’s tertiary institutions.

The statement read: “Following the receipt of reports of Visitation Panels to Tertiary Institutions last year, The Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, has constituted White Paper Drafting Panels for Tertiary Institutions across the country.

Ten White Paper Drafting Panels have been constituted for 36 Universities, while six Panels have been constituted for 25 Polytechnics with 21 Colleges of Education having 5 Panels.

“One Panel is to draft a White Paper for four Inter-university centres. The Panels will be inaugurated in the coming days.

“All the Panels have two weeks from the date of inauguration to submit their reports.”

Politics

ASUU condemns FUTO promotion of Pantami, resolves to sanction VC, members

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the promotion of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, as a professor.

The union after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Lagos on Monday, declared the promotion as “illegal”.

This was declared at a press conference addressed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday.

He said, “You cannot be a minister and a lecturer in a university. It is an encouragement of illegality.

“Pantami has to quit as a minister and be tried for doing double jobs within the same federal system. He is not qualified. Pantami should not be treated as a professor.

“We have resolved to sanction ASUU members involved in his promotion and the VC of FUTO.”

Lifestyle

ASUU slams Osinbajo’s comment he got N620 salary as university lecturer

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday replied a comment by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo that he collected N620 as a lecturer II when he started teaching in the University of Lagos in 1981.

In a post released on the Union’s Facebook page yesterday, the Union argued that the Vice President’s mention of his salary in 1981 had no relevance to the unjust treatment of university lecturers today.

Recall that at the 53rd Annual Conference of the Association of the Nigerian Law Teachers held in Kano State on Tuesday, the Vice President hinted at how fast life had changed for Nigerians.

He said, “I started teaching in the University of Lagos in 1981 as Lecturer II, and my salary at the time was N620. This clearly shows that the importance of law teachers in the life of the nation”

While giving some mathematical analysis of the Vice President’s N620 and the salaries paid to University lecturers, the Union noted that his salary was heavier than the meagre amount received by University lecturers in the country today.

“In 1981, 0.62 Naira is $1 (official rate was actually 61 Kobo). Therefore, N620 is worth 620 × 1/ 0.62 equals $1,000

“Convert $1,000 to naira at today’s exchange rate of about 575 (BDC) equals to 1000 × 575 which gives N575,000 per month

“If you use present official rate of 420 naira, you have N420,000 per month

“Now, this is practical demonstration of how poorer lecturers have become in today’s Nigeria. Which University pays a junior lecturer (between N420,000 to 575,000) per month? Even Professors at the bar now earn less than N500,000 whereas in 1981 such got a modern equivalent of not less than N200,000 monthly”.

Politics

ASUU alerts Nigerian govt on strike, insists on 2009 agreement

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, on Tuesday decried the poor attitude of the Federal Government towards the implementation of the 2009 agreement signed by both parties.

The ASUU Coordinator in the zone, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, who addressed journalists at a press conference in Jos, Plateau State, said such a lackadaisical attitude by the government would force the union members to embark on an indefinite strike.

The union had on November 14, issued a three-week ultimatum to the government to implement the agreement or risk another indefinite strike by the varsity teachers.

Abubakar, who was represented at the forum by his predecessor, Prof. Nanmwa Voncir, said the agreement was renegotiated in May 2020, yet the government has remained adamant about its implementation.

He advised the federal government to implement the agreement to avert another strike.

Abubakar added that the union’s demands were not personal, but aimed at lifting the standard of university education in the country.

The coordinator said: “The Bauchi zone of ASUU feels that the government has been tolerated enough and we cannot continue to entertain its officials who are failing to do the needful for over the years.

“Impending strike action can be avoided if government officials can do what they failed to do in the last one year.

“We are, once again, pained to bring these issues to the public domain because more than a year after suspending the 2020 strike, little progress has been made towards implementation.

We are also pained to inform the public that ASUU has activated its process of resuming the conditionally suspended strike immediately after the expiration of the three-week ultimatum.

“Should we embark on strike, know that we are forced and government should be held responsible and accountable.”

Politics

Nigerian govt claims agreements with ASUU were signed under duress

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The Federal Government on Thursday alleged that majority of the agreements signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were done under duress.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, during a retreat organised by the governing council of the University of Abuja.

He said, “I have heard so much about the fact that the government has failed to honour the agreements with ASUU. I have a different view about that because most of these agreements are imperfect.

“If somebody comes to my house and puts a gun to my head, I might agree to everything because those agreements are signed under duress. If you want to introduce obligations or responsibilities on their part, they will insist you cannot.”

Undergraduates across the nation’s public universities continue to bear the brunt as the ASUU continuously embarks on industrial actions to press home their demands ranging from payment of allowances to the IPPIS implementation.

Lifestyle

ASUU responsible for destruction of education in Nigeria – Adamu Garba

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A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), of destroying Nigeria’s education system.

Garba described the academic body as the single most destructive system of education in Nigeria.

The single most destructive system of Education in Nigeria is ASUU. Always Striking for money, not for innovative learning.

“I don’t know why such kind of Union still exist when we are not a communist state,” he wrote.

His comment comes after ASUU threatened another strike if the Federal Government failed to fulfil agreements reached in December 2020.

The body had given the Federal Government three weeks warning or risk another nationwide industrial action.

Lifestyle

‘Compel govt officials to send children to Nigerian schools,’ ASUU charges National Assembly

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday, charged the National Assembly to make a law that would compel government officials to send their children to public schools in Nigeria.

The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made the call in his address at a meeting between the union and the Federal Government team in Abuja.

The federal government team was led to the meeting by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

The meeting was convened after ASUU threatened to resume its suspended strike over the federal government failed to honour some of the agreements signed by both parties last year.

The ASUU chief commended the minister for his show of uncommon faith in the university system by sending his children to public schools in the country.

Osodeke encouraged other government officials to emulate Ngige.

He blamed the insecurity in the country on the government’s neglect of the education system.

He said: “I hope other ministers will follow the same step as you. I think you are the only minister whose children are in the country. We see others standing by their children outside the country during graduation. But, we saw you standing by one of your children who graduated in Lagos, proudly.

We hope all others will emulate you and that government will make it mandatory that if you accept a government appointment, your children must attend universities in the country.

“The National Assembly must formulate a law that if you take an appointment, your children must study here. If you know that your children cannot be here, don’t take a Government appointment.

“When you hear those in government who send their children to schools abroad say that ASUU goes on strike, they should know that strike is not the problem. The problem is the issues afflicting the universities; nobody is interested in tackling them. Look at the budget we have seen recently, it is the same thing we have been seeing. Nothing has changed.

And this country is paying the high price for neglecting education, the banditry you see, the kidnapping and what have you, are because people are not being taken care of. That is why ASUU has been struggling so that Nigerian universities will be revamped so that as our children go outside for learning, other children from other countries will come here too and pay to this country in hard currency.”

In his remarks, Ngige assured that the federal government would do all within its power to make the nation’s educational system better despite the paucity of funds occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges.

Politics

#ASUU :The 40 billion has been paid – Minister of Labour, Ngige.

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There have been rumours of the academic staff union of universities planing on embarking on another strike over breach Of agreement the body has with the federal Government.

Senator Chris Ngige,  The minister of labour and employment , who stood in for the federal Government yesterday spoke on the matter concerning the rumours in circulating, they said they have kept to their side of the bargain that they had on the December 22, 2020, the government however debunks any claim stating that they have not kept to their promise.

Chris Ngige

 Sources from asuu(academic staff union of universities) have allegedly stated That they are still waiting for the released of the 40 billion they were promised 1 week and 5 days after the suspension of the strike.

Many said the FG has failed to deliver after he paid 2 months salaries that were with held.

Ngige who spoke via a telephone with thisday said the that there was no breach that the FG has paid the 40 billion he promised.

Politics, World News

#ASUU says it will embark on fresh strike if FG fails to honour agreement.

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A recent report indicates that the dispute between the federal government and ASUU is far from over The union discloses why academic activities in public universities may not begin soon – ASUU tells the government what it must do to resolve the industrial dispute

An emerging report indicates that lecturers in public universities may soon begin another strike if the federal government fails to fulfil its own part of the agreement reached in December 2020. The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) stated that a fresh industrial action could commence as early as next week. Government officials discussing with representatives from ASUU.

The union made the disclosure in a tweet on Monday, January 4. In another tweet on Tuesday morning, January 5, ASUU advised the government to honour the agreement reached to avert the planned strike. Meanwhile, Nigerian university teachers have accused the federal government of reneging on the agreement .

Lifestyle

ASUU: Students issue one week ultimatum to Federal govt, lecturers

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The Coalition of 19 Northern States presidents of the Students Union Government, SUG, has issued a one-week ultimatum to both the Nigerian government and ASUU to resolve its problem with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) or it takes to the streets in protest.

They stated this at a press conference in Kano on Tuesday where they read the outcome of an earlier meeting of the coalition in Jigawa State.

Addressing the conference on behalf of the coalition, Sadi Garba Sa’id of the Bayero University Kano said, “The coalition has unanimously agreed on the review of the ASUU demands. The coalition is giving both parties ultimatum of one week to resolve themselves or else we the Nigerian students will move to the roads and make them our classes.”

They further stated that they will not accept any increase in registration fees while calling on the government to waive the fees because of the pandemic which has caused economic devastation.

“The coalition will not tolerate any form of hike in registration fees or the induction of tuition fees.

“The government should waive registration because of the pandemic which has seriously affected the economic status of students, parents and guardians,” they declared.

The coalition also called for a review of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) age limit as the lingering ASUU strike might have affected the chances of some of the students to participate in the scheme.

“NYSC age limitation should be revised owing to the fact that the lingering ASUU strike and COVID-19 pandemic may have crippled some students’ chances of participating in the scheme,” they demanded.

The coalition further condemned the alarming rate of rape and kidnapping across the country and therefore called for a prompt action by government.

They also demand that education should be given priority in the country for which they called on the government to also provide quality education in primary and secondary schools.

The coalition further called for the introduction of skill acquisition and internship programs to the students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria while they also called for transparency in respect of federal and state scholarship schemes.

Lifestyle

ASUU: Children of politicians should be banned from studying abroad, strike’ll end – Lecturer

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called for a law placing restriction on public office holders from sending their children to foreign countries to study.

The Akure zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Olufayo Olu-Olu said such ban would put an end the persistent strike in Nigeria’s education sector.

Olu-Olu explained that if such a law is promulgated, it would help to rebuild Nigeria’s education sector.

A statement by Olu-Olu reads partly: “Members of the ruling class and their cohorts have their wards schooling abroad, so they do not commit to ending ASUU strike since the political office has become occupational rather than public service.

“Until we domesticate two very important practices as laws in Nigeria, we may not get out of this doldrums -first, an act to compel all public office holders and government appointees to have their wards educated in Nigeria public schools from primary to tertiary level.

“When this law is enacted, perhaps we will gradually see the end of needless ASUU strikes in the country.”

ASUU has been on strike for about eight months, following federal government’s failure to meet its demands.

Despite a meeting with government representatives last week, ASUU had vowed to continue with the strike until all demands are met.

However, there are speculations that ASUU zonal branches would meet by Friday to decide if they would call off or continue the strike.

Politics

#ASUU: We Will Resume Meeting With ASUU On Friday- FG

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The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has revealed that it will resume meeting with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Friday.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on Wednesday night.

It is gathered that the federal government and ASUU are expected to discuss issues including the contentious payment platform preferred by the union.

In a text message on Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Charles Akpan, said the dialogue with the ASUU leaders would hold at the minister’s conference hall.

Recall that ASUU had on March 24, 2020, declared an indefinite strike over what it described as the failure of the Federal Government to fulfill the 2019 agreement it had with the union as well as the issue surrounding the migration of members to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and other issues.

Dr Chris Ngige

The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) had also proposed the University General and Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (UGPPPS) in place of the IPPIS.

Their action followed the complaints against the IPPIS which allegedly caused salary delays and shortchanged the university workers.

Meanwhile, Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has said if the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was not resolved by next week, the federal government would explore the provisions in the labour law.

Politics

#ASUU : FG may drop IPPIS for ASUU, others as opposition grows.

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 Other options open, our aim is to eliminate ghost workers, says FG . IPPIS has many irregularities, gives cleaner’s salary to registrar – SSANU

There were indications on  Sunday  that the Federal Government might adopt any payment  platform developed in universities as an alternative to  the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, who gave this indication in an interview with The PUNCH, however, gave conditions for adopting any payment platform apart from the IPPIS.

According to him, the platform must be capable of eliminating ghost workers’ syndrome and other forms of  corruption in payment of salaries.

Akpan stated this as opposition to the IPPIS grew on Sunday when   unions including  the Academic Staff Union of Universities,  the  Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities,  the Non-Academic Staff Union and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria said it was only suitable for the civil service.

Recall that ASUU had on March 23,begun an indefinite strike over the government’s insistence on the IPPIS, among other reasons.

Other university unions, which  initially supported the payment system,  backed out on the grounds that it contained many irregularities.

As an alternative to the IPPIS, ASUU had presented its University Transparency and Accountability Solution to the Federal Government.  UTAS is currently being tested  by the National Information Technology Development Agency, while SSANU and NASU have  proposed the University General and Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System.

Politics

#ASUU said we should go & learn new skills , says Nigerian student who revealed his business.

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A young Nigerian student, Oluwasegun who buys and sells consumables has taken to Twitter to reveal the type of business he does, following an advise from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

ASUU had given a 7-point advise to students who have been at home for 8 months owing to the ongoing strike action by the body.

They urged undergraduates to learn new skills, travel, intern at organisations, read books, and have fun amongst other things. The young man who referenced ASUU’s advise in his post revealed that he is into selling of rice.

https://twitter.com/oflondonn/status/1327223228381728768?s=19

Oluwasegun wrote;

“ASUU said we should go & learn new skills. Prior to that, I’m now selling rice at Daleko Market, in Mushin. We sell Made in Nigeria rice, no stone, no dirt & we sell at an affordable price, starting from 23k upward….”
Kindly do & patronise me…..Thank you 

Politics

EndSARS: We are unhappy Sanwo-Olu denied inviting Army, General tells panel.

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The Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, says the Nigerian Army was unhappy that the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, denied inviting the military on October 20, 2020, when soldiers shot at the Lekki tollgate where #EndSARS protesters were gathered.

The general, however, said inviting the military was the best decision the Lagos governor could have taken as the #EndSARS protest plunged the state into anarchy but added that the Army was also unhappy that Sanwo-Olu said two persons died from the military engagement at the Lekki tollgate.

He said, “I spoke with the governor and said the Army was unhappy that he said he did not ask for Army’s intervention but I am sure that after you watched everything (video footages), you saw he had more than enough grounds to ask for Army’s intervention; perhaps it was the way everything went.”

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Lagos governor denied inviting the military to disperse protesters at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, adding that forces beyond his control were responsible for the Lekki incident.

The Army Headquarters subsequently said in a statement that the Lagos State government invited the soldiers to the protest ground and that the soldiers acted within the rules of engagement.

The Lagos governor has been under fire since the incident at the Lekki toll gate which has been condemned by local and international civil rights organisations.

Politics

#ASUU Strike: We’ll explore other options if ASUU remains adamant. – FG

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has expressed optimism that the prolonged strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities will be resolved by next week when the Federal Government team meets the union leaders again.
He, however, said if the matter was not resolved by then, he would explore the provisions in the labour law and other channels.

Government had previously appealed to the union to call off the strike. The union had on March 24 2020 embarked on an indefinite strike over the failure of the Federal Government to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action between them as well as the lingering disagreement over the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System that ASUU rejected.


Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Friday, the minister said the government had met six of the union’s nine demands and that they would meet again next week with the hope of ending the prolonged strike.

He stated, even if countries go to war, at the end of the day they come to the negotiation table. I’m inviting ASUU members next week. We are doing side meetings on our part and we are collating everything. I’m collating responses from the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office and everybody who has something to do with this matter. Ngige was asked if the lecturers may not return to the classrooms in the next one or two weeks, he said, “I’m not looking at that (long) period. I’m an optimist on this matter. By next week, we will conclude this matter. There are so many options left. We have the labour laws and I have options left to me in the labour laws. I have other channels.


The minister, who said his children had also been at home as a result of the strike, explained that government had agreed to give the University Transparency Academic Solution, the payment platform proposed by ASUU, a trial. He however said the feedback he got from the National Information Technology Development Agency, the agency mandated to follow-up the trial with ASUU, showed they had just concluded the first phase and that the second phase to assess the functional requirement of UTAS had not been done.

He added, UTAS is yet to be ready but government will not discourage them and we have told them there is no need using the same old method of strike to make demands since such had been deployed since 2017. On the revitalisation fund, he said government had agreed to release N30bn out of the N40bn demanded by the union as the payment for November 2019 and September 2020, adding that the remaining N10bn would be staggered.

A committee that looked into the needs assessment of universities held a workshop on how funds could be generated, came up with the recommendation that other things could be done to raise funds, because revitalisation cannot be done through the budget, especially when the country is running a deficit budget,” Ngige added.

Politics, World News

Boycott UI convocation, ASUU directs members.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, on Tuesday asked her members to boycott 2020 Convocation and the foundation laying ceremonies of the Premier University.

The decision may not be unconnected with the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Union.

The Union in a release signed by the Chairman, Professor Ayo Akinwole stated that the position of the Union is that holding convocation ceremonies is a violation of the principle of the ongoing strike.

‌Akinwole maintained that the Union is constrained to “advise members not to be in attendance or participate in the preparation for and the actualization of the said convocation and 72nd foundation Day Ceremonies.

It was gathered that the Union has also communicated her position via a letter written to the outgoing Vice Chancellor Professor Idowu Olayinka.

“The notice for the university of Ibadan 2020 Graduation and 72 foundation Day ceremonies come to our attention on Saturday , 7thNovember, 2020. In the spirit of the current ASUU strike, holding graduation ceremonies at this time would be a violation of the principle of the ongoing strike to rescue public university education in Nigeria. To the best of our knowledge, there was no request for a waiver for such to take place in the University of Ibadan.”

Lifestyle

On ASUU And This Elite-style Struggle By Afolabi Alawode

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities declared its nationwide strike on March 23, 2020 as a result of the Federal Government’s directive that staff in Federal Government-owned institutions should register for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, which ASUU vehemently disagreed with. Failure of the FG to fulfill the 2009 agreement it had with ASUU, which is about the revitalization of public university education and the non-payment of the Earned Academic Allowances amongst others are part of ASUU’s demands.

Truly, these aforementioned demands of ASUU are genuine and rational. As regards staff enrolling for IPPIS, ASUU has defended its position, stating that the Accountant-General of the Federation does not have the legal right to determine the payroll system of public universities as it is a duty of each university’s governing council. Also, bearing in mind the unfortunate state of public universities which is because of the failure of the government to invest more in the education sector, the underfunding of the education sector has kept government-owned Nigerian universities aback as it cannot compete with its counterparts in other parts of the world.

Despite these, it is safe to conclude that FG is not sincere and not ready to reach any consensus soon with ASUU for the union to suspend its strike in order for academic activities to commence back in school. FG has stopped payment of their salaries. This suggests that FG wants to frustrate ASUU’s struggle. Just like successive governments, this current administration has shown no commitment to change the notorious narrative known with Nigeria’s education sector. Since FG eased lockdown and allowed reopening of universities, both parties have had series of meetings which have failed to yield any positive result.

It must be noted that out of these numerous meetings, the outcome of two of these meetings suggested that FG was ready to reach an agreement with ASUU. These two meetings were held while the #EndSARS protest was on. In one of these meetings, FG agreed to pay the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) even though there was disagreement as to which payroll system to be used. In another, it was reported by popular news outlets that FG considers the adoption of UTAS. These reports were welcomed by Nigerian students with much anxiety. Many were of the opinion that a consensus would be reached with ASUU soonest. Unfortunately, this hope was dashed when the #EndSARS protest stopped after the military officers shot people dead in Lekki.

During the tensed days of the #EndSARS protests, FG alleged that the protest was massive because of the ongoing strike and in a bid to weaken the protest, FG hurriedly had meetings with ASUU and agreed to some concessions with the deceitful zeal to meet ASUU’s demands. However, immediately the protest ended, FG changed the narrative and now, it looks like the strike will last till eternity.

FG’s reaction to the #EndSARS protest in relation to the ASUU strike is symbolic and not just a mere coincidence.

Based on history, one can boldly assert that FG fears mass action of any group and will go to any extent to stop protests from holding. Taking the #EndSARS protest as an example, governments on different occasions met with individuals presumed to be the leaders of this protest because they understood the economic effect of a protest holding for weeks and months. The campaign to #EndSARS did not start this year, the hashtag surfaced online first in 2017. From 2017 till October 2020, FG made false promises which were not fully affected by the total disbandment of SARS. The total disbandment of SARS would not have happened if youths had not trooped out to the streets to protest. The protest was consistent and peaceful until FG began to shoot protesters.  

The achievement gotten from the #EndSARS protest is enough to send signals to ASUU. It is high time ASUU changed from its elite-style of pressing home their demands to a more proactive and radical one. It is funny to realize that ASUU only uses strikes and meetings in pressing home their demands and this elite-manner of challenging abnormalities seems not to be productive any longer.

The strike embarked on by ASUU has been rendered non-productive by the refusal of FG to listen to their demands. In short, ASUU needs to embark on a nation-wide protest in order for FG to take their demands seriously.

Professional unions like Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the past had embarked on peaceful demonstrations to press home their demands and results abound. The reason why ASUU has refused to embark on a peaceful protest is still unknown and no reason can be attached to this.

Funnily enough, students who have been at home for close to eight months will not hesitate to be at the barricades with their lecturers to protest what is good for public tertiary education.

Now that FG has refused to take ASUU’s demands seriously, ASUU must mobilize its members and students to the barricades and stop its elite-style of attending to burning issues. The struggle to revitalize Nigeria’s public tertiary education must not be restricted to round-table discussions. It must be taken to the streets where the whole of Nigeria will understand what is going on.

Freedom comes, only, by struggle.

Afolabi Alawode is a Nigerian student

Politics

#ASUU Strike: Recall students for academic activities, ASUU faction begs VCs.

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Lecturers under the aegis of the Congress of Universities Academic has urged Vice-Chancellors of public universities to recall students for academic activities.

CONUA, which is a breakaway faction of ASUU, said its members across the nation are not on strike and are ready to lecture.

The National Secretary of CONUA, Dr Henri Oripeloye, made this known in a press statement made available to our correspondent.

Oripeloye assured that “should VCs recall their students now, academic activities will resume without any rancour in public varsities as many lecturers are ready to resume since they have complied with government’s directive on IPPIS”

The statement was titled, “ASUU: Breakaway faction begs VCs to recall students for academic activities”.

The statement quoted Oripeloye as speaking during a press conference at the Federal University Oye Ekiti.

Oripeloye, who led members of CONUA across various universities to the press conference, said apart from members of the body, “there are those (lecturers) who don’t belong to any Union and are willing to teach”.

Oripeloye said, “We reject in strong terms, the claims that we are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities. We are an independent union on university campuses in Nigeria.

“We commend the National University Commission for directing the opening of Universities nationwide. We want our universities to be reopened so that they will not be left behind in the scheme of things.”

Oripeloye who lectures at the Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, said “CONUA believes in constructive and objective engagement with the government rather than strike”.

Stating that “one of CONUA’s dreams is that strike action as a weapon to force government’s attention should become history”, the lecturer said, “We don’t know anything about UTAS, we believe in fruitful interaction with the government and to achieve our requests from the government.

“CONUA has no conflict with ASUU. The two unions only differ in terms of philosophy and ideology which is reflecting in their approach to getting the government to accede to requests…and this is being done on the issue of IPPIS as CONUA has been interacting with the government on how to solve many of the problems that have been identified with the platform.”

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