The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the federal government and in particular, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu of undermining the future of the nation’s universities as they have remained closed for the past seven months.
ASUU equally said contrary to calls by the Education Minister that students should sue the Union, “Adamu Adamu and the Federal Government of Nigeria are really the ones wasting students time, and deserve to be taken to court”.
The union disclosed this through its Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, while briefing journalists at the University of Jos ASUU Secretariat in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Abubakar said, “The worst was that the Minister was taking Nigerians for granted by dislodging the facts and teaching the students to be irresponsible, by being disrespectful to their lecturers.
“I’m glad that the students replied him squarely. I agree with them that Adamu Adamu should be the one to be taken to court for his silence and indifference since the strike commenced more than six months ago.
“Nigerians could see that electricity workers only switched off for less than one hour with the same government yielding to their demands, and aviation workers were not even allowed to commence their strike so that the flights of the political class would not be disrupted.
“Is it education which is the backbone of development that should be so neglected by this government, thereby plunging the country into a future doom.
According to him, “ASUU, Bauchi Zone takes exception to this neglect and insist that public universities in Nigeria must be globally competitive with government providing the needed funds after stopping the wastages through programmes that are merely conduits for corruptly defrauding government of its meagre resources such as incessant overseas travels.
“The zone also rejects the insulting and ridiculous award to ASUU members nationwide in that take it or leave it manner, and insist that the Federal Government of Nigeria must sit with the Union and agree through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognised collective principle
“It is clear that the Federal Government of Nigeria has offered nothing so far and is not willing to address the issues that provoked the current strike.
“Indications are just showing that government officials are hell bent on embarrassing and humiliating ASUU members to submission.
“The Union calls on its members to continue to remain resolute and committed to this struggle, for victory shall be on the side of Nigeria, by God’s will.
“The struggle is a patriotic one; it is legitimate and worthwhile”, he stressed.