1 month ago
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s last-minute entreaty to suspend its projected informing strike, describing it arsenic “too little, excessively late.”
Speaking connected Channels Television’s meal show, ‘The Morning Brief’, connected Thursday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, criticised the government’s dilatory effect to the union’s long-standing demands, saying officials lone reached retired 2 moving days earlier the onslaught ultimatum expires.
“The occupation we person with this authorities and this Ministry of Education is that they are dilatory successful responding to our demands,” Piwuna said.
“We went for a gathering successful Sokoto, and astatine that clip we were astir to embark connected a onslaught action. They gave america 3 weeks, we accepted the 3 weeks, but we ne'er heard a connection from them until the 3 weeks elapsed, not a connection from them. Nothing, until we threatened action.”
Piwuna said the government’s entreaty came astatine the “eleventh hour” and failed to show seriousness successful addressing the issues raised by the union.
“Yesterday, they appealed to america not to embark connected action. Our 2009 statement which is inactive being renegotiated aft 8 years remains undone. We person not concluded connected it, and 2 moving days earlier a onslaught action, you travel to entreaty to us. I deliberation the entreaty has travel a small excessively late,” helium added.
Recall that ASUU had connected September 29 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government implicit what it described arsenic neglect of the assemblage strategy and disregard for lecturers’ welfare. The ultimatum expires connected Sunday, aft which the national says it volition embark connected a informing onslaught unless the authorities takes “substantial action.”
“Their ultimatum expires connected Sunday, and aft that, determination volition beryllium a informing onslaught unless thing important comes retired from the government. So, successful the adjacent 48 hours, we expect to person thing substantial,” Piwuna said.
“Then we tin spell backmost to our members and ask, ‘Do you deliberation this is capable for america to clasp on?’ and we volition bash what our members inquire america to do.”
In August, ASUU members crossed national and authorities universities held field rallies to gully attraction to what they termed the government’s persistent neglect of the acquisition sector. Despite the demonstrations, the national said determination has been nary meaningful engagement from either the national oregon authorities governments.
“What is wide for present is that some the national and authorities governments person a beardown wont of paying small oregon nary attraction to the acquisition assemblage successful wide and the payment of assemblage academics successful particular,” ASUU stated successful a caller communiqué.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government connected Wednesday urged the national to shelve its planned strike, assuring that it remains committed to addressing each outstanding issues.
Speaking astatine a property league successful Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said advancement was being made done the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, which was precocious reconstituted to fast-track talks with some world and non-academic unions.
“The Federal Government is already looking into the demands of the Union, and advancement is being made successful the ongoing negotiations,” Alausa said.
“President Bola Tinubu has fixed wide directives that each efforts indispensable beryllium made to debar different disruption successful the nation’s tertiary institutions.”
Despite the assurance, ASUU insisted that factual action, not promises, volition find its adjacent steps.
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