“Despite FG’s N52.5bn, strike is still likely soon,” says ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has disclosed that despite the FG’s release of N52.5bn, they will still likely commence strike because the released fund is not enough.

According to a report by Punch, the union said the N30bn Revitalisation Fund and N22.5bn Earned Academic Allowance totaling N52.5bn released by the Federal Government is not enough to deal with the challenges facing the university system.

In an interview with Punch, the ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed that there was a possibility that the union would still go on strike, unless the government addressed its demands, including the 2009 agreement.

Osodeke described the fund released by the government as a token payment, adding that it was not enough for lecturers to change their minds on the suspended strike.

He, therefore, asked the Federal Government to address the issues concerning the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, which the union rejected and asked to be replaced with the University Transparency, Accountability Solution. He also said renegotiation and resuscitation of universities had not been addressed.

In his words: “There is an agreement and we want them to implement the agreement. The issue is not about money. There is the issue of renegotiation, there is the issue of resuscitation of the universities, and there is the issue of UTAS. So, you don’t just come and throw a little money and think the challenge has been resolved.

“This is what our political class is doing. They believe that once they throw a little money, everybody will run back. That is the problem. So, it is not about the token they have given. There are more fundamental issues.”

Osodeke stated that the planned strike in the new year was a possibility, adding that the union decided to shelve the strike earlier because the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council intervened and promised to prevail on the Federal Government to implement the agreement.

He added, “Our going on strike is a possibility. The only reason we relaxed is because a group, Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, intervened. We respect the group so much. The group told us they would intervene and they would ensure that the government implements our agreement. That is why we agreed to the benefit of the Federal Government.

“So, we decided we will give the Federal Government till the end of this year (2021) and see what it will do. Other groups also intervened. That explained why we relaxed going on strike, so that they will not say ASUU likes going on strike.

“The Federal Government should do the needful by embracing the agreement to prevent ASUU from going on strike. Nigeria as a whole will suffer the brunt of ASUU going on strike.”

In response, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said there was no justification for another strike by ASUU, adding that the Federal Government had addressed the issues raised by the union.

I have always said my position is that even if you slap me, I will tell you that there is no justification for a strike. It doesn’t matter; if you like, you can kill a goat for the person, if he wants to go on strike, he would go. If you don’t kill a goat for him, and he doesn’t want to go on strike, he will not go on strike.

“Our objective is to train Nigerian children. That is the whole essence of the entire education spending. So, anything that you are in that is not in pursuant of that goal, you are losing means. The fact that you want to go on strike because there is a form of payment which is not accepted, you can decide you want to do that, nobody can beat you for doing that.

“There is no issue they (ASUU) have raised that we have not tackled. I don’t have any disagreement whatsoever with ASUU, none at all. That has always been my position. My attitude is if you want to work, you will; if you don’t want to work, you will not.”

On what the Federal Government planned to do if the union goes on strike, the minister said there was no Plan B since there was no possibility of hiring lecturers from the moon.

He said, “If they go on strike, there is no Plan B. We are not going to recruit lecturers from the moon. There is no need for a strike. Nobody can tell me that a strike is needed for anything. If you don’t want to teach, say so, and not that you want to go on strike. For what? There is no basis for any strike in Nigeria.”