The latest news as concerns ASUU. Varsity Students To ASUU: End Strike Now Rising from a meeting with the Senate Committee on Education, the National Association of Nigeria University Students (NANUS) yesterday distanced itself from the ongoing dispute between tertiary unions and the federal government. The national student body, led by its national president, Peter Bassey Asuquo, insisted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) did not consult with the student community before embarking on the prolongedstrike. “We are indeed saddened to the highest pitch and peak that ASUU has unilaterally decided to embark on yet another needless strike to drive home a point against the federal government,” NANUS told the Senator Uche Chukwumerije-led Senate Committee. “Our sore point of grievance is anchored on the fact that the ongoing ASUU strike has exerted an even greater negative toll on the university students much more than any other party in the impasse. It is our firm belief that other amicable avenues could be adopted other than a strike to resolve the ASUU/FG standoff. It is therefore our resolute demand that the ongoing ASUU strike be called off forthwith.” Again, the student body lamented that incessant strikes embarked on by ASUU has failed to impact on the infrastructure status of government universities nationwide. They accused the lecturers of pursuing selfish ends to the detriment of Nigerian students. NANUS urged the Senate Committee on Education to probe government-run universities on their internally Generated Revenue (IGR). The student bodies insist that the IGRs have been largely misapplied leaving university with dilapidated infrastructure and learning aids. Chukwumerije queried the paucity of IGR generated by universities on occasions when the education committee carried out oversight on the universities. He queried the incessant strikes and called for alternatives to resolution of disputes between tertiary unions and the federal government. LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER recalls that ASUU declared an indefinite strike based on the refusal of government to honour the terms of a 2009 agreement and a 2012 memorandum of understanding it signed with the lecturers for improved welfare and increased funding for universities. In another news: ASUU Strikes worrisome- SENATE The Senate yesterday said that incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), is worrisome. The upper chamber also said it is working assiduously to ensure that the industrial action by varsity teachers is called off without delay. Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, spoke when members of the National Association of Nigeria University Students (NANUS) visited the committee in Abuja. The students were at the National Assembly to express their concern over the spate of strikes by ASUU. The students noted that their findings showed the teachers had been on strike for 30 months in the last 12 years, some of the strikes lasting as long as eight months. Chukwumerije said his committee decided to grant the students audience because members realised that they were deeply concerned about unending strikes by ASUU. He said: “The Senate is working seriously to get ASUU to call off its strike. We are all concerned. The phenomenon of incessant strikes by ASUU is bothering us because it has negative effect not only on education but also on the country. “We also ask, must ASUU go on strike? Is there not other alternative to strike? We are bothered and we are working to see an end to the current strike by ASUU.” Chukwumerije said that the students raised important issue when they highlighted the issue of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by universities. He noted that all over the world, universities depended on themselves “but here universities depend 90 per cent on government.” He said that ASUU believes that government should honour the agreement it reached with union. In the last and most worrisome news, NLC threatens to join ASUU strike The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday threatened to join the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in solidarity strike if the Federal Government failed to address the ASUU demands. NLC President, Abdulwaheed Omar, made the threat at the opening ceremony of the “2013 Rain School” in Uyo. “We call on the Federal Government to have meaningful dialogue with ASUU with a view to implementing the agreement. “The State Governments should equally obey the law and pay minimum wage to teachers and the local government workers as well as the 27.5 per cent teacher’s enhanced salaries. “Should these strikes persist, workers of Nigeria will not hesitate to join them in solidarity,” he stressed. The strike is still on, although a meeting is being rumoured to hold between ASUU and FG this week or before the end of the month. Lets hope for a better outcome this time. NESA For Economists will continue to keep you informed.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:00:20 +0000
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