Follow Us on Google
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The University of Abuja branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has stated that the federal government has not yet complied with the union’s demands and that, contrary to what is being reported, the union has not received N100 billion from the government.
ASUU cited the government as the cause of the protracted strike, alleging that it had thwarted all sincere attempts to put an end to the industrial action.
Dr Kassim Umaru, ASUU Chairman, University of Abuja branch, speaking Tuesday, during the union’s congress at the University’s Mini Campus in Gwagwalada, said “As far as we are concerned, the federal government has not done anything to our various demands.
“Federal government should tell the Nigerian public what they have done. The two committees that were set up, the Nimi Briggs committee were set up, the Jubrin committee was set up and all these things had their recommendation before then.
“They were to signed that agreement and get it implemented but it is not an offer, it is just a mere statement we heard from government because the history has it that at each level it is collective bargaining but when you jettison collective bargaining and you are throwing a award to someone which we needed to sit down as established by law,”he said.
Responding to the claims that the federal government had granted an additional N100 billion for university unions as part of the 2009 deal. agreement, Umaru said “all these being said in social media and newspapers are not true. Is there any document to our union? We should begin to ask them these questions. The students will have to be patient, it is a fight we have to do once and for all and it is a fight for the future of unborn children.
“We have no alternative than to do what we are doing and we must do it so that we can compete with the external world.
“In the entire world today nobody jokes with education, if you are talking of economy, you are talking of cultural and social aspect, you must invest in education, no single country jokes with education like the way Nigerians are doing,” the ASUU chairman said.
Umaru disclosed that the National Executive Council (NEC), would meet at the conclusion of the four-week deadline to make a decision regarding the ongoing strike. He claimed that the union has a system for making decisions.
According to him,”at the end of the expiration of the ultimatum on Sunday, the needful will be done.”
Speaking on the no-work-no pay policy as stated by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, he noted that the ILO and the 1981 trade union Act was very clear on that.
“Our salaries are always negotiated, it is not something you feel you can pay us, it is something that you have to sit down to talk and agree that you can pay us.
“As far as we concerned, our job is different from any other civil servants, it is the job you are going back to do, you are not paying for an hour you are paying for the job we have done so it is there responsibility to pay us and if they said they are not paying us and if they said they are not paying us, it is a joke taken too far.
“As it is, they have not called our union and Nigerians should know that we have not been called, no invitation to our union and all that we know the strike continues,”he explained.
