culled from 234next.com

By Jide Jegede

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5458941-147/story.csp

September 15, 2009 12:56PMT


The chairperson of the University of Ibadan branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ademola Aremu has said the Federal Government is responsible for the prolonged ASUU strike.

Mr. Aremu said the decision of the government's team to ‘walk out' of the negotiation process added to the prolongation of the strike.

The lecturers held a rally on Monday to sensitise the public about the essence of their protracted strike and why they think the government was consciously undermining public education institutions.

"It is over three months now that Nigerian universities have been on strike. But the people in government do not feel it because they do not have their children in the country. They would rather take them abroad to study. That is why they could afford to allow the universities to be closed for more than three months," Mr. Aremu said.

He enjoined the public to call on the Federal Government to sign and implement the existing agreement between it and ASUU, saying that rather than ask the lecturers to call off the strike, they should tell the government to agree to their demand.

The union leader said both ASUU and the government teams shifted ground from their respective original positions to arrive at the content of the agreement.

He said: "We were on strike when the president assumed office in 2007. He invited us, talked to us and asked us to go back to work, promising to act on the grievances. As a mark of honour for him, we called off the strike then. But, unfortunately, we are on strike on the same issue now. We will not be deceived anymore. Let them sign the agreement and we will call off the strike immediately."

The rally was supported by members of the National Association of Nigerian Students and other unions in the university.

Insensitivity of the government Flaunting banners, fliers and leaflets of different sizes and colour, the protesters chanted anti-government songs and slogans to deride the alleged insensitivity of officials to the plight of the lecturers and their call for a better education system in the country.

Representatives of NANS, who featured prominently at the rally, threatened to storm the National Assembly and disrupt their proceedings if the government fails to act fast and decide on the issue of education.

Monsuru Adeyemo, NANS chairperson in Oyo State, said students decided to join the ASUU members in the rally to express their worries over the way government is handling issues of education.

Mr. Adeyemo said if action were not taken fast to address the issue, the Nigerian students would organise to disrupt the forthcoming uder-17 FIFA world cup scheduled to take place in Nigeria.