The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has blamed the federal government for misplaced priority and insincerity in handling the impasse even as the union stated conditions for calling off the lingering strike.
Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU made this known during an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, August 30.
Osodeke said for the strike to be called off the federal government must have told the lecturers the actual amount meant for the revitalisation of Nigeria’s university system and where exactly it is lodged.
He added that the federal government has to clearly explain to Nigerians and ASUU its position as regards the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), and that the Nimi Briggs panel’s recommendations must be implemented for the union to call off the strike.
“Government should tell us and Nigerians the money that has been alleged to have been approved for revitalisation – how much is it and where is it lodged? When will it be released?
“The federal government has to clearly state its position concerning the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a payroll system created by ASUU as a replacement for the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS).
Read also: UNILAG leads mass resignation of lecturers over ASUU strike – Ashiru
“Thirdly, have they accepted the agreement we reached with their panel? They should come and tell us this, and not go to the press,” Osodeke said.
The leadership of ASUU frowned at the federal government’s stance of ‘no work, no pay’ accusing the government of purposefully prolonging the strike in order to frustrate the lecturers.
“The lecturers will still teach the students from where stopped to enable the students to cover up the lost periods when the strike is called off,” he noted.
Hence, he argued there is no room for the ‘no work, no pay’ policy of the federal government. The university don accused the government of playing with the education of its citizens.
“Playing with education is playing with the life of the people,” he stated.
According to him, the federal government is just appealing to the sensibilities of Nigerians rather than concentrating on the glaring issues raised by the union.
While answering questions on the refunded Abacha loot, Osodeke said the government is not being sincere with the people.
“If you have a sick child, and suddenly money you did not plan for comes your way, what will you do? Won’t you quickly take the child to the hospital? he asked.
He compared the strike to a symptom of a problem. Which according to him will disappear any day it is sorted out.
Osodeke reiterated that the federal government must be transparent and sincere on the lingering issues for the strike to be called off. He pointed out about 95 percent of Nigerian students are in public universities, yet the sector is underfunded, and not well equipped to produce quality graduates in various disciplines.
This he said is a systematic way of killing the future of the country, because the universities will be churning out half-baked doctors, and engineers, among others, who will become detrimental to the economy of the nation.
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