 has explained why it may not reverse its decision on its ongoing strike.){kind=link}
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has explained why it may not reverse its decision on its ongoing strike.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja said government’s failure to shift grounds will be a major obstacle to calling off the strike.
Osodeke said the union took the ‘difficult decision’ after exhausting all avenues available to amicably settle the matter with the Federal Government.
“Let me give you an example because this is where we are getting it wrong, when the airline operators said they were going to stop the flights, the Senate and House of Representatives quickly stepped in.
“This is because they are affected; they quickly rushed in and addressed the problem, why would they not resolve that of the education sector that is affecting the children of the poor and the ordinary people
“If the government is willing to resolve the issues affecting Nigerians, then there would be no need to go on strike.
“The problem is the will of the government to resolve issues,” he said.
Osodeke told NAN that none of these demands had been met by the Federal Government.
“All the issues that made us go on strike are still there; that is the revitalization fund, that is putting more money into universities and revitalizing the infrastructure in the universities.
“There is also the issue of our mode of payments in the universities. There is no university in the world where lecturers are paid salaries from the Accountant General’s Office.
“We have challenged them to provide one, if universities are a universal body, why are they doing things differently.
“We talk of negotiation of the agreement, the proliferation of universities, among others, so there are lots of issues that they have not resolved.”