The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that the ongoing strike by the union will continue until the Federal Government resolves all the issues in contention.
This stance is coming as the Union maintained that the first meeting held with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige has yet to go into the substantive issues which necessitated the strike.
Speaking to newsmen after the Congress of the Union, the ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Dr. Deji Omole said the union has rejected FG’s negotiating team led by Dr Wale Babalakin because he was only interested in pursuing a private university license and hence would do everything to jeopardize the funding of public education.
While stressing that the Union would not allow the ruling elite to destroy the heritage of the poor which is qualitative public university education, the ASUU leader maintained that the three-week old ASUU strike was borne out of genuine and patriotic commitment to ensure a better future for Nigerian youths.
“How can our strike be political when there are matters that you as government signed into and you failed to fulfill your promises? To us, it is the Federal Government that is being political with the truth by becoming untrustworthy.
“How can the President and his Vice be asking Nigerian universities to become one of the leading universities of the world without making the same commitments responsive and responsible governments in the world are making to education?
“Our leadership have shown consistent disrespect for agreements and this is why they can no longer be trusted by our Union,” Omole added.
ASUU had declared a total and indefinite strike over the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to fulfill the content of the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union in 2017.
The agreement bordered on the revitalization and funding of universities, settlement of unpaid, accumulated earned academic allowances and release of University Staff Pension Company license among other issues.
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