The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed significant frustration with the Federal Government for failing to meet any of its demands, despite months of discussions aimed at resolving their longstanding disputes.
The union’s president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, conveyed this disappointment in an interview with the media when asked about updates regarding their unresolved issues with the Federal Government.
In recent times, ASUU has repeatedly warned of a potential nationwide strike if the government continues to disregard their agreements. Meanwhile, the government has occasionally taken steps to ease tensions.
According to Osodeke, apart from forming a renegotiation team to engage in fresh discussions with ASUU, the government has yet to take any concrete action.
ASUU stated that it has already completed its part of the renegotiation process with the committee and is now waiting for feedback from government representatives.
Osodeke explained that ASUU has submitted its stance on each contentious issue, leaving the next steps to the government’s representatives, who are expected to consult their principals and return with a response.
“It has been about two months now, the government’s team has not come back to us, let alone sign a new deal and the implication of this development is that the political class does not care about any development for the public university,” he emphasized.
According to him, in previous administrations, the government occasionally made small positive contributions to the education sector, but under the current government, nothing has been done.
He stated, “No single issue has been permanently resolved by this government since assumption which is more than a year now out of all issues about our agreements.”
“So, in education we can boldly say as a union that nothing has changed.”
“We are still telling the same old story, whereas, the rich keep sending their children abroad to study and returning after studies to take up the so-called lucrative positions, especially in public establishments leaving the children of the poor to continue to suffer.”
Osodeke asserted that this situation must change if Nigeria truly aims for meaningful progress as a nation.
He also mentioned that ASUU members would soon convene to determine their next course of action.
