Chinedum Treasure
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it would shut down academic activities in the nation’s universities for the next ten years if the ongoing negotiations with the federal government turned out to be unfruitful.
Chairman, ASUU chapter of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra State, Prof Kingsley Ubaorji disclosed this on Tuesday during a protest march to register their grieviances over federal government’s non-implementation of all renegotiations of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and other sundry demands.
He said it was regrettable that lecturers with noble professions resorted to street protest, describing it as insult on the part of government.
He said, “I want to let us know that the government is aware of what we’re doing. There’s already negotiations between ASUU NEC and FG.
“That negotiation will turn out to be good. Otherwise, we’ll close the university for the next 10years.
“It’s either they hear us or they hear us. That’s why we insist that the strike will last as long as government remains insincere both internal and external.
“See what government has turned lecturers that supposed to be noble men and women into- demonstrating on the streets.
“This is a sign of insult from government And if they continue, they may not like what will come out of it. We’re rather go hungry than continue to tolerate the insult.
Appreciating members of the Union for trouping out enmass to join in the protest, ASUU boss encouraged them not to give up until their demands were met.
“I want to encourage us to keep faith because what we’re doing is right and noble, demanding for your right is the right thing to do.
“Whoever occupies the position, whether from North, South, East or West, we’ll still do the same thing when the conditions are not met. The same thing with who occupies this Aso Rock of NAU.
“I know anytime we have congress some people believe I’m insulting them, but the truth remains, until you stay the other side of the divide, you’ll know it’s not an insult.
“As ASUU Chairperson, I’m the Chairman of violence. So I’m supposed to be saying it the same way I hear it from my members.
“We’re appreciate all the Principal officers that joined us in the protest. This singular act that you’re really with us. But we know our saboteurs. We’re watching,” he added.
Earlier in a press conference, Ubaorji
had called on Federal Government to reverse the recently constituted and appointment of old politicans into the governing Council of Nigerian universities.
He accused federal government of dissolving federal universities council without due process and appointed very old politicans, insisting that University governing councils were not retirement home for old politicans.
He said, “ASUU demands immediate reversal of appointment of very old politicans as members of governing council of federal universities in Nigeria.
“Those appointed into the council are old politicians without knowledge of university adminstration. University Council cannot be dumping ground for old politicans.
“Our union condemns the dissolution of governing councils without due process. Governing Councils are crucial for the governance and strategic direction of our universities.
“Therefore, the illegal and arbitrary dissolution of the Governing Council whose tenures have not ended undermines Nigerian universities’ autonomy and smooth functioning. This cannot be tolerated as it lays a very bad precedence.
“Even the membership of the said newly reconstituted Councils is problematic. A critical look at the list of the newly constituted Governing Council, shows that it is made up of very old politicians who do not understand the academic system and its administrative processes.
“Our public universities should not be a retirement home for politicians. We therefore call on the Tinubu-led Government to do the needful by reversing its decision on the University Governing Councils dissolution.
Our union maintains that the proliferation of public universities without provisions for adequate funding and infrastructure does not auger well for our university system” he stated.
Ubaorji further urged the federal government to put a moratorium on creating more universities without substance.
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