The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has stated that nothing progressive has emerged to see an end to the warning strike embarked upon by the body.
The ASUU’s strike which is in its fourth week has been hinged on the union’s demands on the revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances, renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, and inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system.
Prof. Osodeke, who was a guest on Channels Television’s show, Sunrise Daily, expressed his disappointment at the state of affairs and the government’s inability to fulfill the promises it made two years ago.
“I can assure you nothing tangible has happened, nothing visible; nothing you can say has been done,” the ASUU president said during the breakfast show.
We have met with the Minister of Labour twice and all they are saying is the same old promises that they have been talking about.”
The ASUU president bemoaned what he called the government’s “lack of interest and will” in the public university system as their demands can be settled in a meeting between both parties.
“We met with the President on 1st of February and raised this issue with the President and the President promised to address it and he appointed a three or four-man committee to look at it; the Chief of Staff, Minister of Labour and Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance, it was all over the country and till today that committee has not called us for a meeting,” he explained.