Unions say FG has failed to back up its words with action.
Academic activities in Nigerian universities are about to resume when the Union of Academic Staff of the University (ASUU) decides to launch a new round of indefinite strike.
In a statement on Friday, February 4, 2022, the union said its demands had not been considered despite several discussions with the federal government.
ASUU set to begin indefinite strike, says it’s tired of fruitless meetings with FG
In a statement issued by Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, union chairman, Joss university branch said he was tired of the FG scam, adding that the government could not match words with actions.
The statement said: “Over the past year, our union made a commitment to the federal government and its officials to make demands that, if implemented, would raise the bar for our ailing high institutions, especially universities. The undeniable crisis in our education sector has had no consequences. different, only the same answer. Our union made it very clear that we value the interest of the Nigerian Interfaith Council in resolving the current impasse.
“However, it makes no sense to keep going to the same doctor for the treatment of an iatrogenic disease or a disease that has not healed or diminished in the patient.
“From historical experience, we can conclude that NIREC’s efforts with government agencies are more likely to bring additional pain and grief into the system. This will certainly happen if the NIREC intervention ends with a palliative decision. This will lead to another phase of the same crisis. For clarification, our ASUU union has held several meetings with the Secretary of Labor, officials from the Federal Department of Education, NUC and NITDA, and most recently the President’s Chief of Staff.
“All these meetings have not convinced our members because the following issues are still unresolved.
Presidential spokeswoman Femi Adesina’s recent comments that the government will keep its promises sound utterly hollow to us. The government’s model for responding to problems is by breaking promises. Like unfaithful husbands, they cannot compare their words with their deeds, which has a negative impact on the education sector.
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We are fed up with their trickery and it’s time to ACT. We would like to inform Nigerians that we are fed up with fruitless meetings with the Secretary of Labour, the Executive Secretary of NUC, the Committee on Salaries, Revenues and Wages, NITDA and the President’s Chief of Staff. If they want us to listen to them, the first thing they have to do is keep the promise they made.
“In the meantime, we are determined to continue the strike indefinitely and on a full scale until loyalty to our relationship with the government is restored and our demands are met. We are tired of going back and forth.”
We recall that in November 2021, FG promised to respond to the union’s basic demands within seven days.
FG made the promise after the union threatened to go on strike indefinitely.