We are not happy going on strike but is our last option-Professor Abubakar

From Ali Galadima, 
Bauchi

The zonal Coordinator Academy Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) Baucji zone comprises of six Universities Professor Lawan has disclosed
that the Union is never strike happy as they stand to loose many things but it
has became the only option to draw government attention to decay I. The
tertiary institutions.

He said “I am calling on members, students, parents and
Universities administrators to support us, strike is not in our interest so
that we can get of our classes, laboratories and researches. We want to be also
in our classrooms, laboratories but the strike is our last option and no any
other option left that we can draw government attention than strike, we are
never strike happy we stand to loose a when when ever we embark on strike, but
we see it as sacrifice”.

Professor Abubakar made the disclosure in an 8nterview with
newsmen at the ASUU Secretariat Baucji.

Professor Abubakar said with time government would never be
trust worthy again as the union is looking 
inward for another suitable alternative to replace strike even though is
yet to locate one.

He explained that, “what our members are saying is that
we cannot take the words of people in government any longer. What we will take
is action and there is no need for us to sign anything with government any
longer. What we want is faithful implementation of our needs not book work no
more writing and signing an agreedment that show that the bridge of trust
cannot continue for ever and time would come that we will put a stop to
it”.

According to the ASUU leader, Government have not been up
and doing in the memorandum of action signed with the Union when those issues
were looked into by the union in 2012 and the they decided to draw the
attention of government to the issues to the implementation with a two weeks
warning strike.

He said the strike which started on the March 8, is expected
to end on March 22, and resume work on March 23 but any failure from the side
of government to act positively on their demands the strike may likely spill
over.

“What ASUU want from government is attention to
education which it so simply because of its important and the role education
can play in development. Education suppose to show the way in the economic,
development, security but those problems we have been having if government have
been serious with education solutions to the problem would have been handy and
we would have been in crisis of the security, crisis with the economic and
crisis with infrastructure”.

He said the way government is handling education is very
disappointing, while lamenting that the primary education is no where to be
found, secondary education have been collapsed and what is remaining is
tertiary institutions which is at the peak of collapse if not ASUU is
intervening.

“At a time, then in the universities where you are in
need of bouncing burner in the laboratory Universities were using stoup, where
you needed water being running in the tap for experiment students where
fetching water in bucket and  guts where
a lab is suppose to accommodate 20 students you see 200 students at that lab
and most of them do not know. What was going on where a classroom is suppose to
accommodate  25 students you see 250
students where a lecture theater is needed is an ordinary classroom that you
get. Government started implementing the need assessment in 2013 after a strike
by ASUU with 200b naira and since then government have decided to back out of
the issue  of funding and we are going
back to square one”.