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  • News - South West - Oyo
  • Updated: September 05, 2022

Lecturers Retain Nigerian Public Universities With Their Blood — ASUU

Lecturers Retain Nigerian Public Universities With Their Blo

In the continued feud between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the union has restated the invaluable commitment of its members to retaining public universities in the country.

Prof. Ayo Akinwole, the University of Ibadan ASUU Chairman reiterated this on Monday in Ibadan.

In this light, the Chairman criticised the government for turning deaf years to its demand, claiming that the government has been paying the salaries of other striking sectors while neglecting ASUU.

“Lecturers retain Nigerian public universities with their blood, but is it right for Nigerians to say they should die on the job?

"I am saying they are owing us over eight years of verified earned academic allowances.

“Is it only ASUU that is on strike? Some sectors (research institutes) of the nation have been on strike for 13 months and the government has been paying their salaries.

“Is it an offence to become lecturers in Nigerian universities?

"What led to the strike? It is the non-responsiveness of the government that led to the strike,” he said.

Akinwole maintained that the union will wrestle against any anything on the path of ensuring its members' welfare.

He noted that ASUU had warned the government for 14 months before commencing the strike, adding that the intervention of the Nigerian Inter-religious council in 2021 was fruitless. 

“We waited for 14 months from December 2020 to February 2022 before declaring this strike.

“I am saying 14 months’ notice, 14 months engagements and Nigeria Inter-religious council intervened in 2021 when we would have declared the strike.

“We gave them one month with no result. Heroes are gone before they are appreciated, but our union will not die.

"We will not die. We are going to be alive to see this struggle through,” he added.

According to him, the 1.1 trillion naira was arrived at by the government through its NEEDS Assessment report for the revitalisation of the decay in Nigerian public universities and not for lecturers.

He appreciated the union for maintaining its state in reviving public university education in Nigeria, adding that the government has only spent money on universities due to the incessant strikes in the last 25 years. 

“If ASUU does not go on this struggle, there will be no university for new people to attend.

“In the last 25 years, the Federal Government would not have spent money on its universities, if ASUU had not gone on strike.

“I am also a parent and my children are at home with me.

"Most lecturers have to spend their money on their students’ projects for some students to graduate.

“I could give you numbers of some of my students who can tell you how much I have had to support their projects,” Akinwole maintained.

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