ASUU: We won’t allow ruling class to destroy public universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says its National Executive Council (NEC) has now moved from rollover strike into a “comprehensive, total and indefinite” industrial action.

President of the union, Emmanuel Osodeke, said this in a statement said the indefinite strike taking effect from 12.01am Monday August 29 was to prevent the ruling class from destroying the public universities

The union on February 14 declared a one-month warning strike to protest the non-implementation of its demands by the Federal Government and kept on extending the strike to give room for talks and negotiations.

In the statement, Osodeke said the purpose of its strike action is to “save public universities”.

He added that the government had failed to satisfactorily address its demands.

The statement read, “ASUU NEC noted with pains, its concerns for Nigerian students who are also our wards and foster children and condemned government’s seeming indifference to their plights. The union empathizes with the students, their parents, as well as other stakeholders (including our colleagues who are undertaking their higher degrees) in the universities. ASUU reaffirms its belief in the sanctity of a stable academic system.

“Were it within our control, our universities would never have been shut for one day! However, ASUU was forced into taking this painful decision to prevent members of the Nigerian children from the ruling class and their foreign collaborators from further destroying whatever is left of our public universities. We are all victims.

“We need the understanding, solidarity and sacrifices of all to ensure that every qualified Nigerian youth who cannot afford the cost of private university education or foreign studies has unhindered access to quality university education.

“ASUU strikes are aimed at saving public education, and ensuring that governments (federal and state) use our common patrimony to support quality public university education. This is our collective obligation.

“In view of the foregoing, and following extensive deliberations on the government’s response to the resolution of 14th February 2022 so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the union had not been satisfactorily addressed.

“Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the rollover strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01am on Monday, 29th August 2022.”