[EDUCATION] ASUU Strike: FG Fails To Meet Demands

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has showed their displeasure over the action of the Federal Government in meeting up with their demand which led to a two-day week warning strike.

This was said by ASUU Coordinator, Bauchi Zone, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, at a press conference in Jos on Friday.

The Bauchi Zone of ASUU comprises six universities, namely the University of Jos; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi State; Federal University Kashere, Gombe State; Gombe State University; Plateau State University, Bokkos; and Bauchi State University, Bauchi.

Abubakar said the Federal Government must honour the agreement which it signed with the union in 2019 which includes; the provision of sustainable funding for the revitalisation of public universities, payment of the arrears of earned academic allowances and amongst others.

 The ASUU coordinator explained that instead of taking the advantage of the two weeks warning strike to show commitment towards the implementation of the 2019 Memorandum of Action, the Federal Government had failed to fulfill their demands.

Abubakar said, “ASUU had remained calm and patient throughout 2019 and beyond and it is clear that the union has given the government a very long rope.

“Ordinarily , one would have expected the government to reciprocate this gesture with a faithful implementation of the remaining five aspects of the 2019 Memorandum of Action .

“Instead, the Federal Government has resorted to blackmailing ASUU, encouraging division in the union and a forcefully implementing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, an issue that has already been settled since 2014, among others.

“We are really disappointed at the attitude of the government towards resolving the contending issues . ”