STRIKE: FG IS NOT SERIOUS, SAYS ASUU

Dr. Tony Eyang, the Chairman of the University of Calabar branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities, yesterday reported that the Federal Government is unserious about its negotiation with ASUU.

Dr. Eyang, who made his displeasure over the backdrop of the present standstill with the government, reported that a straightforward method to show commitment, greater than the series of Memorandum of Agreements, was for the government to put into action just any of its earlier promises.

Recall that, the Federal Government made an announcement on Wednesday that they were close to signing an agreement with the Striking University Lecturers.

Dr Eyang believe that,apart from signing of the agreement, implementation is the most important thing.

The statement of Dr.Eyang has been quoted is giving below;


“The Memorandum of Action of 2017 must be implemented. It is more or less a pathway to the implementation of the 2009 agreement. The way to move forward was what necessitated the N20bn commitment from FG but nothing has been".

“We have made our demands, it is now left for government to react in concrete terms that they are serious. One of the demands is the mainstreaming of earned academic allowances into salaries beginning with the 2019 budget, but what do we know about the budget which was presented just three days ago".

“What we are told is that it has been factored it, but we do not know if it is so. We are not looking for 100 per cent implementation, all we want is some demonstration of seriousness. It is not ASUU that is being difficult here, but government is being unserious. For several months that this union has been on strike they have been dancing around the issues".

“Let me tell you, the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement had timeline, but one year after, the timeline was not met and another strike has had to be called to force the government to look into it".

“So, on this matter, what argument, what discussions, what agreement are you getting into again with the government when we had reached one with a timeline for the release of the money, owing people who have worked".

“ASUU will for instance not insist that FG should pay the N1tr at once for the upgrade of universities. Last year, government proposed that it would release N20bn as a mark of commitment to the revitalisation of universities and ASUU accepted, but up till now it has not been done. Our members are very agitated and FG has not demonstrated commitment,” he reported.