Strike: ASUU warns against betrayal by universities

AS the ongoing strike enters its 10th week next Monday, five universities in the Niger Delta region, have vowed to heavily fall on any university found truncating the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), insisting that the action must be pursued to its logical conclusion.
This stance was taken after a crucial meeting of the Benin Zone, at the Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka, Delta State, last Wednesday.

Zonal co-ordinator of the body, Dr Sunny Ighaho, while addressing journalists after the crucial meeting, said the zone would not tolerate any university that will scuttle the industrial strike that is rounding off it’s ninety week.

The universities represented at the meeting were the University of Benin, Delta State University, Abraka and Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Others were the Niger Delta University and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Bayelsa and Effurun respectively.

Dr Ighalo, who explained that the ASUU struggle is not only about money but to  liberate the university system from the hands and enemies of the educational sector,  reiterated that “The union is struggling to have a better future for our children. Nigeria is richly blessed with human and abundant resources, sadly, the elite are sending their children abroad, even to lesser countries.”

According to him, the strike has reached a critical phase where government is now applying the instrument of intimidation and blackmail as well as other gimmicks to undermine and whittle down the struggle.

While calling for the implementation of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement, Dr Ighalo condemned government’s ploy to break the resolve on the struggle by forcing the union to end the strike through a meeting attended by the committees of pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors.

“Our union has no intention to renegotiate the said agreement until it is fully implemented. What makes a person or organisation is honouring an agreement freely made. The government should honour the agreement freely entered into with the union since 2009,” remarked the union zonal co-ordinator.

Dr Ighalo with whom were other members of the body, called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on government to demonstrate integrity and good faith by respecting and honouring the said agreement.

Source:http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/item/20921-strike-asuu-warns-against-betrayal-by-universities.html