Posted by John Akpodovhan, Makurdi on
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has embarked on a total and indefinite nationwide strike after a series of warning strikes to demand for a committed and comprehensive renegotiation of the June 30, 2001 Federal Government / ASUU agreement.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has embarked on a total and indefinite nationwide strike after a series of warning strikes to demand for a committed and comprehensive renegotiation of the June 30, 2001 Federal Government / ASUU agreement.
National President of ASUU, Dr. Abdullahi Sule- Kano, who disclosed this at a press conference yesterday at the Benue State University, Makurdi, after a two-day meeting of ASUU's National Executive Council (NEC), explained that ASUU arrived at the decision after much patience spanning over two years.
'NEC has taken this decision painfully after a long patience spanning over two years. NEC appeals to the public to prevail on the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop toying and experimenting with the future of Nigerian universities, its educational system and the country at large," he said.
Dr. Abdullahi stated that the union's negotiation team was correct to conclude that the government team's conduct during the exercise was not in accordance with, and was in fact, a violation of established practice of collective bargaining.
He noted that the national executive recog-nised the fact that agreement reached through a proper, collective bargaining procedure and principle was to stem the rot in the Nigerian University system and to address and reverse the brain drain syndrome.
NEC, he explained, resolved to commend ASUU's negotiation team for its patience and for defending the 2001 Federal Government/ASUU agreement and the integrity of the union.
He said its negotiation team would return to the negotiating table to press for a committed and comprehensive renegotiation of the June 30 2001 FGN/ASUU agreement only if there was a written assurance from the government that the government's team would renegotiate the 2001 FGN/ASUU agreement and its components.