ASUU Strike: Parents, Students count losses. In sprite of the several negotiations between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the subsequent release of N130 billion for infrastructural development and allowances to the striking lecturers, ASUU, said the stike would continue until the 2009 Agreement entered into by both parties is fully implemented. With the release of the funds of which N100 billion would go for infrastructure development of the universities and N30billion for allowances of lecturers, many, especially the students who bear the brunt of the imbroglio thought that the lectureres would sheath their sword and go back to classes. But the leadership of the Union has consistently maintained that the full implementation of the nine-point agreement it signed with the Federal government in 2009, will see them back to classes. The leadership of the Union had wondered why government decided to dangle N30 billion as part of the allowances to placate them, thereby making it seem as if the issue was about allowances. The Union National President, Dr. Nassir Isa told newsmen recently: “When the strike started, government mischievously announced to Nigerians that ASUU strike was chiefly for the sake of money in the form of Earned Academic Allowances. Also at every meeting since the strike began, government’s team always repeat that the allowances were the major issue in contention even when the union has repeatedly said the contrary. students protesting ASUU strike in Lagos “Why would government dangle N30 billion as if it was a dole-out when in fact, that amount was unrelated to the agreement and the work of implementation committee? he queried. Sixty days on without any indication for a cease fire, some parents, students and concerned Nigerians spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the issue. Ms Temitope Ajayi, a.k.a. Mama Diaspora lent her voice to the development saying lecturers ought to have suspended the strike immediately the President waded in and ordered the release of N30billion to the striking lecturers. “The lecturers should first appreciate the President’s gesture of offering N30billion as part of the allownaces of the lecturers. They should therefore go back to classes while negotiations continue on whatever grey areas left. It is by showing that honour and respect to the President who first made an offer that whatever argument or grey areas they have can be successfully pushed forward. I sympathise with them but also, they should know that when two elephants fight, the chief victim is the grass and in this case, the students are the chief victims. “They should also understand that the future of our children is important. We need to make sacrifices, and no sacrifice is too much to save the coming generation. These children will spend so much time in the univeristy before graduating and besides, it actually makes some of them to lose focus, because they use the stike time to do some other things instead on concentrating on their studies. Some of them become negatively affected. It is not right. How can we juxtapose a situation like this with the quest for allowances.” Reacting on the full implementation of the 2009 agreement both parties entered into, Ms Ajayi faulted the leadership of ASUU saying: “That condition in itself is faulty; how can you implement a nine-point agreement in one day. It has to be a gradual thing and that is why I said they should have suspended the strike and continue negotiation on the full implementation of the agreement.” Students react The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Coordinator in the South-South and South-East, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, expressed worry that the students are feeling the brunt of the strike following the failure of the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to fully reconcile their differences. Just before press time, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, took to the streets, protesting the prolong strike action, barricading the Benin-Asaba expressway by head bridge, Onitsha, Anambra State.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 10:19:11 +0000
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