Strike End Nowhere In Sight – ASUU

The academic staff union of universities (ASUU) has declared that students and parents should not expect a suspension of the ongoing strike anytime soon.
The Abuja zonal coordinator of the union, Prof. Theophilus Lagi made this clear on Tuesday, November 17, advising lecturers to seek alternative means of survival. He made this known at a meeting at the University of Abuja campus while promising to continue with the strike until the federal government gave in to its demands.

According to the vanguard, The union stated:
“Today, we wish to let Nigerians, especially our students and parents know that there is no hope in sight to ending or suspending the ASUU strike that has lingered for several months as government is yet to show serious commitment towards addressing our core demands.
“Our members have been advised to seek other legitimate means of survival as the government has not released salaries withheld since February 2020.’’

The union particularly accused dr Chris Ngige, who is the current Minister of Labour and Employment, of showing what it described as “disdain for Nigerian academics”.
It stated that the minister has failed to play the role of an unbiased umpire in moderating the imbroglio.
“He has now become the spokesperson to the Accountant General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance, instead of finding a solution for lecturers to get back to work, he is turning the wheel of progress, setting ASUU on a collision course with other pressure groups in the university.”

They commented that “Ngige told the nation that the striking lecturers had been paid salaries up to date when he knew university lecturers were being owed salaries for between nine and six months for no just cause.
In the past few weeks, for instance, Ngige has said one thing when he met with the union and a different thing on the same subject in interviews with the media. This double character of a Minister and a purported negotiator in the face-off should be a source of worry to not only the body of Nigerian students but also parents who patronize public universities as the minister’s untoward attitude is undermining the reopening of these schools”