ASUU-UNN protests FG's inability to implement agreements

...supports Nationwide strike after expiration of ultimatum 

By our reporter

The Academic Staff Union of  Universities, University of Nigeria Nsukka (ASUU-UNN), on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest to bring the attention of the Nigerian public, to the inability of President Bola Tinubu-led Government to implement agreements it reached with the union.

The union warned of impending industrial unrest if the federal government refused to act on all their demands after the expiration of their 21-day ultimatum.

It will be recalled that ASUU had charged the government to act within three weeks to address all their outstanding demands bothering on the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, poor funding of the universities, breach of university autonomy, particularly by the Integrated Personal Payment Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), among others, or they will embark on a nationwide strike.

The ASUU members marched from the university's Faculty of Social Sciences, through the Faculty of Education to the university's Main Gate, back to the administration building, singing solidarity songs as well as bore placards with several inscriptions such as;

"Kill Education, kill the Nation," "Nigeria lecturers are the least paid globally," Government should honour the agreement with ASUU: It is a moral question," Government stop forcing ASUU to embark on strike," Government don't kill university education in Nigeria," No pay, no work," among others.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest, Comrade Oyibo Eze, Chairman of ASUU-UNN, said that the union was ready to embark on an indefinite strike if the federal government fails to honour their signed agreements.

“Today, we are compelled to call the attention of Nigerians and the government to the challenges that have been hindering the progress and development of public universities in the country.

"It is important to state that the federal government has not attended to all the issues that had always forced our union to embark on strike despite our several appeals and agitations.

"ASUU-UNN have unanimously agreed to go back to the trenches if FG fails to hearken to the voice of reason," he said.

Speaking further, Eze commended the union members for turning out en mass and speaking in one voice.

"I thank you all for speaking in one voice to support a nationwide strike at the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum.

"It's unfortunate that all the agreements the Federal Government signed with ASUU since 2009 have not been implemented, he said 

He noted that the protest was not against UNN management but against the Federal Government which had failed to implement agreements reached with ASUU since 2009.

"This protest March is to create awareness and urged Nigerians to prevail on government to do the needful before the expiration of the 21 days ultimatum, "he said.

While receiving the protest letter from Comrade Eze on behalf of the university management, Prof. Johnson Urama, the UNN Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, commended the protesting ASUU members for peacefully conducting themselves.

"I commend your maturity and most especially the way you all conducted yourself peacefully during the protest, as well as your various interventions that had gone a long in improving infrastructures in public universities.

"What you are doing today is in order, the university management understands the reason for your demands and agitations.

"Your struggles are part of the reason why public universities are still afloat,   however, I urge ASUU national leadership to continue their negotiation with the Federal Government for a lasting solution," he said.