HOME > NEWS Groups Decry Incessant Strikes by ASUU 02 Sep 2013 Font Size: a / A ASUU Ask union to soft pedal By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja John Shiklam in Kaduna Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia As the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) continues to linger, several Nigerians, corporate and civil society groups have begun to mount subtle pressure on the union to soft pedal on its funding demands from the federal government, with a view to ending the strike, which has kept the nation’s public universities shut for over 11 weeks. One of such groups, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (CCSON) has appealed to the striking ASUU members not to be insistent on the funding demands for the university system, as a way to resolve the current negotiations deadlock with the government. The strike, which is now in its third month seems to have no resolution in sight, as ASUU has insisted on the implementation of the 2009 Agreement and the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), both of which stipulate that the government would release N1.4 trillion for the sector in the next three years. CCSON in a statement issued after an emergency meeting in Abuja at the weekend, expressed concern at the declining rate of the education sector and called on the warring parties to urgently work on a resolution to save the sector from further decline. In the statement signed by the National Coordinator, Mr. Temitope Fadahunsi and National Secretary, Mr. Ahmed Yahaya, CCSON disagreed with ASUU that Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was not doing enough for the universities. “The issue ASUU is fighting for boils down to proper funding and what Nigerians need is for the tertiary education sector to function optimally, we implore ASUU to be logical in their argument on some issues as regards the betterment of education in Nigeria”, it read. “We are of the opinion that ASUU is fighting a good fight which is for the proper funding of the education sector, but the continued strike going into its third month is not to say that government has not been doing anything at all in the education sector,” the statement added. In the same vein, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other stakeholders who have waded into the ASUU-FG feud, have continued to persuade ASUU to resume talks with the federal government. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Zone B has expressed dismay over the non-resolution of the industrial action that led to the closure of public universities. President Goodluck Jonathan had already expressed his surprise that ASUU had not called off the strike, after federal government had already offered N30 billion to settle the allowances of ASUU members as well as N149 billion for upgrading of infrastructure in the universities. But the NANS Zone B comprising federal universities in South-east and South-south states, in a communiqué issued at the end of its council meeting at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, said both the federal government and the university teachers should consider the plight of students and make concessions “so that students can resume their normal academic activities”. The zonal executive council in the communiqué signed by the Zone B Coordinator, Mr. Chinomso Obasi, Zone B secretary general, Richard Ekutu, and five other officials, also frowned at the political crisis in Rivers State. On the “Aluu four” the zonal council executives said they were unhappy over the way the Rivers State judiciary handled the matter and vowed to apply other measures to see that justice was done over the killing of innocent students. They equally condemned the extrajudicial killing of students by the police in Edo and Akwa Ibom States, saying it was high time the relevant authorities took urgent action to the ceaseless wasting of future leaders of this nation. Similarly, the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (CLASFON) has decried the prolonged strike by lecturers in the nation’s tertiary institutions, calling on the federal government to address the myriad of problems in the education sector. The Fellowship also condemned the increasing level of corruption in the country and called on Nigerians to stand up against it. CLASFON particularly expressed concern about the ongoing strike by ASUU, stressing that there was urgent need for the union and the government to resolve the issues in the interest of the nation. In a communiqué issued at the end of its Annual National Conference, which held in Lagos, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY in Kaduna, the Christian lawyers noted that the education sector was vital to the development of any nation, pointing out that the prolong strike would have its negative consequences on the quality of graduates being produced from the universities. The communiqué, which was signed by the National President of the Fellowship, Mr. Sunny Akanni and the Secretary, Mr. Arome Okwori, also noted that one of the causes of the crisis was fiscal irresponsibility, inarticulate public policy and programmes on the part of the government, wondering why the sum of N52 billion could be spent on the construction of an Institute of Legislative Studies at the expense of the problems in the education sector. The communiqué also lamented what it described as “the systemic corruption” which has remained an impediment to the nation’s quest for progress and greatness and urged Nigerians to fight the menace in order to ensure the development of the country. The communiqué said: “Corruption in Nigeria is a vice that has eroded public confidence, diminished public institutions; desecrated public offices and brought to question the sense of nationalism of our public functionaries at all levels of governance. “While corruption manifests in our political and bureaucratic institutions in toasts of scandals and financial improprieties; it is a vice that has not spared other spheres of our cultural, traditional and spiritual institutions. “The conference noted the desecration and gradual erosion of cherished moral values and virtues of which is one of the factors responsible for the corruption in the country." Tags: Nigeria, Featured, News, ASUU.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 16:12:43 +0000
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