The Save-Public-Education Campaign has decried the Nigerian government’s approach toward the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).
The Save-Public-Education Campaign which said it has been monitoring meetings and negotiations between the Nigerian government and the striking university teachers in a statement signed by its convener, Vivian Bello and co-convener, Dimeji Macaulay, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to take over the negotiations immediately.
The group noted that the outcome of its monitoring as it regards the negotiations towards meeting the demands of the academic union in order to end the five months strike showed that till now, nothing has been done to end the deadlock and this has led to a continuous crisis in the country’s education sector.
“The Save-Public-Education Campaign is deeply saddened by this situation, and moreso, the lackadaisical attitude and body language of the relevant authorities concerned in this matter.
“We are also alarmed by the negative resort to a divide and rule tactic by the government negotiators on this strike, whereby they are singling out medical lecturers alone for payment of salaries instead of broadly and comprehensively attending to the salary and other key issues the striking academics have raised.
“We hold this as a false strategy as it is counter-productive and will only lead to further prolongation of the quagmire; Universities and Tertiary institutions are organic structural habitats and academic medics do not and cannot function in it, in isolation. We want to make it clear that it is illegal for the government to stop the salaries of striking Tertiary Institutions’ Unions. It is not allowed under the Nigerian Labour Laws and we strongly charge the government to end this illegality,” the group stated.
The education advocacy group further expressed deep worries and concerns over the impact of the strike on Nigerian youths who are the most affected population and on Nigeria as a country.
According to the Save-Public-Education Campaign, Nigerian youths cum students affected by the strike “have largely come under its toll with many of this population now given to one negative social vice or another arising largely from the idleness and frustrations occasioned by the ASUU strike.
“This further puts virtually all sectors of the nation, including particularly in the area of security, under even greater burden and risk.”
For this reason, “We are therefore of the considered opinion that it was time the ASUU strike be attended to at the highest level, the President Muhammadu Buhari should therefore personally take over and lead the negotiations with the striking lecturers. We believe this will quickly bring a solution and end the lingering deadlock.”
The group added that “Taking all the foregoing into cognizance and without prejudice to the call for the President to take over the ASUU strike negotiation, however, we believe it is time to embark on a nationwide mass protest to impress it on the Nigerian government the need to have our students resume school, which will only be possible if government shifts ground and meets key ASUU’s demands.”
It pointed out that ASUU had already announced its willingness to call off the strike immediately after the Nigerian government meets their demands.
“We strongly, therefore, enjoin the country’s two national Labour Congresses; the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to follow through with its pronouncement on Day of Mass Action to solidarize with ASUU.
The Save-Public-Education Campaign which disclosed that it will soon announce the day it will commence mass action on the ongoing ASUU strike called on students, student unions and Nigerians, in general, to rise up against the neglect and trampling of Nigerians’ right to education by the federal government.
“And while we salute the courage of some students and students bodies in the Country, including the University of Benin, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, the Coalition of Northern Groups Student, Jalingo amongst others, we urge all Nigerians and students across the country including particularly the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, to get ready and join the struggle against the trampling of Nigerians’ Right to Education,” it stated.
