Strike: We are satisfied with level of compliance – ASUU president

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday said it was satisfied with the level of compliance of its members to the nationwide strike it declared on July 1.
ASUU declared the indefinite strike to protest the Federal Government’s non-implementation of a part an agreement it entered into with the union in 2009.
The agreement includes university autonomy and adequate funding of universities.
The government also reneged on the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the union in December, 2011, according to the ASUU National President, Dr. Nasir Fagge.
Fagge told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone that the compliance by state chapters of the union was encouraging.
He said that ASUU was determined to continue the action until the time the government would meet its demands.
He said: “I am happy with the level of compliance by members of the union.
“All of them have downed tools as directed and we have communicated the National Executive Committee’s decision to government.
“We are waiting for its response.
“It is time for people to start probing why government is not taking the much needed steps to address problems in our university system.
“I want to admonish parents to find time to look into the standards of these institutions so that we can be convinced on why something must be done to salvage the situation, and urgently too.”
He said that overcrowding of students in hostels, lecture theatres, laboratories and workshops had become worrisome.
Fagge added: “What will one make of a situation where a hostel room made for just two or four, as the case may be, is being occupied by 12 students?
“This same situation also applies to the use of laboratories as well as workshops.
“Yet, we want to produce quality graduates who are expected to use their knowledge to drive our economy.”
The unionist said that such a situation would not ensure quality assurance on the part of the students and universities.
According to him, research and development are non-existent in universities due to poor funding and other constraints.
He said: “It is based on this that we are saying it is time we face realities, tell ourselves the truth about the state of things in our universities and seek ways of tackling them once and for all.
“Instead of deceiving ourselves, we should find the NEEDS assessment report on these institutions and study it passionately.”
A former Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, however, told NAN that negotiation was important in resolving the face-off between ASUU and the Federal Government.
Obaji told NAN on telephone that there was also the need for both parties to respect agreements they willfully entered into.
She advised stakeholders in education to separate education from politics to enable the country to meet its Vision 20:2020 and the Education for All goals by 2015.