ASUU STRIKE: Union Calls Nigerian Government Deaf And Dumb

Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) has condemned the attitude of the Federal Government towards the strike action embarked upon by the universities teachers saying that if the government has not defaulted in the implementation of the agreement reached and signed with the union, there would not have been a strike action.

ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter, (UI) in an exclusive interview said, “It is unfortunate the situation we have found ourselves in this country. When we started this strike action, we felt we are dealing with a responsible and responsive government. We felt this is a government that would want to do that which is the yearning of the people. We felt this is a government that will see the need to quickly address issues that have led us to the strike. It is a pity that we have been talking to deaf and dumb government. This is the fourth month and this government is not yielding to the wishes of Nigerians which is to fund public universities appropriately.”

He continued, “It is not a nice story that Nigeria’s universities have been shut for four months and the government is not putting in serious efforts to making sure that the problems are addressed. It is really sad.”

Ajiboye who noted that the nation’s universities cannot continue to run the way they are presently, said without the urgent intervention of the government to arrest the rots that have accumulated over years, the universities cannot produce the expected results.

The ASUU leader stated that the union has refused to shift ground so that public universities could be protected for the children of the poor to have access to the university education and have universities to go.

Lamenting how the government has killed both primary and secondary schools in the country, he appealed that efforts should be put in place to sustain public tertiary institutions stressing, “the private universities is unaffordable for the poor.

The lowest school fee in a private university is N700, 000. Where can parents that are on minimum wage of N18, 000 get such amount of money to send their children to such university?”

Ajiboye also condemned the attempt of the government to rubbish the personality of Deacon Gamaliel Onosode and other eminent Nigerian personalities who negotiated with the ASUU to produce the 2009 agreement.