Parents, Students Applaud ASUU, FG Over Strike Suspension

Some parents and students in the FCT, have commended the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government (FG) for the suspension of the eight-month strike.

Recall that the union, through its President, Emmanuel Osodeke, had embarked on a nationwide strike from Feb. 14 to press home its demands.

The lecturers are demanding to fund the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), and promotion arrears.

Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System among others.

Nicholas Emmanuel, a parent whose child is in the University of Abuja, said he was happy the strike had been suspended.

Emmanuel, however, appealed to the Federal Government to keep to their promise by meeting the demands of ASUU to avoid further strike action.

“I give God all the glory and I thank the Federal Government and ASUU for making this suspension possible.

I have to look for money to send to my son to enable him to go back to school,” he said.

Rosemary Adejoh, another parent who has three children at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, also expressed happiness that the strike had been suspended.

“Before the strike, I had settled them, including providing for their upkeep, I will have to spend extra money on them again.

“My appeal is for a permanent solution to end the strike so that our children can graduate within the stipulated years of their courses,” she said.

Similarly, Luka Ayuba, a parent in Gwagwalada Area Council whose child is studying veterinary medicine at the University of Abuja, said that the strike had made his son shift focus to other things that he did not budget for.

“After each episode of the strike, the children are no more focused and they end up not graduating within the stipulated years,” he said.

However, Yemilo David, a 400-level management student at the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, commended the Federal Government and ASUU for reaching an agreement to suspend the strike.

“I am really happy that finally I will be going back to complete my university education and I am looking forward to attending my lectures.

“Suspension of the strike means so much to us as students, we are tired of staying at home.

“It’s a thing of joy for me and all students out there and the suspension of the strike is a relief to my parents,” she said.

Another student, John Iguve, Department of Agricultural Science, said “The strike is not good for our education system, it is killing our academic output.

“Though I used the period to learn graphic design, which I have added to my knowledge, the truth is that not everybody will learn skills the way I did,” he said.