The Coordinator ASUU Akure Zone, Professor Olu Olufayo, flanked by Chairmen of ASUU of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Ekiti State University and that of Federal University, Oye Ekiti during the press conference at OAU By Shina Abubakar.
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Akure Zone has disclosed that the industrial action embarked upon by the union may last years if the Federal Government refuses to honour its agreement with the union holistically.
This is as the union disclosed that the FG resumed negotiation with the union out of jittery of the #EndSARS protest embarked upon by the youths across the country.
Addressing a Press Conference at ASUU Secretariat inside Obafemi Awolowo University Campus on Friday, the Coordinator ASUU, Akure Zone, Professor Olu Olufayo said the union, unlike in the past, has resolved to remain on strike until the FG reaches concrete terms with respect to implementing the 2009 agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding in 2013 and the Memorandum of Actions signed in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
He stated that the federal government’s narrative that the union was on strike because of its rejection of IPPIS is an attempt to blackmail it, saying the union resumed strike over eleven (11) years old crisis bordering on funding for revitalisation of public universities, payment of backlog of earned allowances owed its members and renegotiation of 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.
Prof. Olufayo who was flanked by Chairmen of ASUU of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Dr Olayinka Awopetu, Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr Adeola Egbedokun, Ekiti State ll, Dr Kayode Arogundade and Federal University, Oye, Dr Gabriel Omonijo, said the should declare emergency in the education sector and shut public universities for a period within which the goverment should put things in order for proper training, research and community development.
Also, the union leader stated that the body is surprised that the federal government is calling it back to the round table for negotiation during the #EndSARS protest, having neglected it during the six months of the pandemic that forced the closure of schools across the country.
“It is unfortunate that the government in the country does not care the quality of education available for the children of ordinary Nigerians since their children schooled abroad, hence, their refusal to honour the various agreement reached with ASUU for almost eleven years. We have also resolved to remain on strike for as long as possible to ensure that the FG commit to the agreement and take concrete steps towards ensuring quality public university education in the country.
“We have told the FG to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, shut the schools for two or even five years within which it can fix the problem in the sector and ensure quality education in the country.
“It is surprising that it takes the FG the EndSARS protest to call the union back to the negotiation table despite the long period of break imposed by the pandemic. Government believe if the youths were in the classroom, the protest could have been curtailed or minimised”.
Credit: School Nigeria