The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Benin zone has stated that the strike shall go on, unless the Federal Government returns to the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement signed by both of the parties. The statement has been made after finishing the congress at at the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.
The
Union has also condemned the FG of being deaf to the plight of
Nigerians by not meeting their demands as contained in the MoU.
The
above-mentioned statement has been signed by Emmanuel Mordi – the
Chairman of DELSU ASUU, Anthony Moye-Emina – Chairman of UNIBEN ASUU,
Beke Sese – Chairman of NDU ASUU, Fred Esumeh – Chairman of AAU ASUU and
Sunny Ighalo – Coordinator of ASUU in the zone.
Sunny
Ighalo insisted that the union was not on strike to make fresh demands,
and neither was it ready to
renegotiate the existing agreement.
“We
are calling on the government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement
it willingly signed with the union in 2009,” he added.
This is despite the release of N100 billion by the Federal Government to ease the burdens in the universities.
But
the Union accused the FG of applying “divide and rule” tactics, by
trying to buy in the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and Committee of Vice
Chancellors with the latest release of another N30 billion.
According
to him, “though N500 billion was expected from the government based on
Needs Assessment carried out and contained in the MoU of January 2012
for revitalization of the universities, government claimed it
distributed N100 billion most of which were promissory notes.
ASUU
zonal coordinator also noted that parents and students alike, need to
understand the stance of the lecturers that it is being directed towards
helping in the revitalization of the comatose education system in the
country which had almost collapsed.
“This
struggle, which has now entered its ninth week, is driven by the
unshakable resolve of our members to stem the continuing trend with
successive governments of Nigeria, to systematically destroy public
education through neglect and near total abandonment.
“The
strike has indeed moved into a critical stage where government is now
applying the instrument of intimidation and blackmail and other gimmicks
to undermine the struggle,” Ighalo said.
Gabriel
Suswam, the Governor of Benue State, commented on strike on September
5, 2013, Thursday. The Governor revealed that his state’s university,
Benue State University (BSU), has already received about N950 million
from the N100 billion earlier released by government when he confirmed
that the Federal Government had on Tuesday released another N30 billion
for federal universities in the country.
