Strike: Buhari, Ministers Treat ASUU Issues With Levity, Contempt — Group

Following the extension of the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the early hours of Monday, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) has blamed the prolonged strike on the federal government's hatred for education.

The association in a statement by the NAS Capoon, Abiola Owoaje titled 'FG’s Hollow Hubris Prolonging ASUU Strike' decried the snobbish position of the federal government and its thoughtlessness toward the condition of students, parents, the university system, and the nation and large.

Owoaje in the statement accused President Buhari and his ministers of a lack of interest and dishonesty in their dealings with ASUU.

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s aloofness to critical issues such as the ASUU strike is disappointing. His Ministers taking a cue from him have treated the issues raised by ASUU with levity and utmost contempt.

"The trio of Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, the junior Minister, Festus Keyamo, and their education counterpart, Adama Adamu, have largely exhibited incompetence in their handling of the ASUU’s industrial action.

”Bereft of any cogent reason not to implement the 2009 agreement entered into with ASUU, they have been unnecessarily confrontational, obfuscating facts and spreading outright falsehood in the attempt to break the psyche of the striking lecturers, force the union to abandon the principle of collective bargaining and ultimately incite the Nigerian people against ASUU,” he accused.

The Capoon further said the government has failed in providing adequate funds to the nation's universities in line with the criteria given by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

He called on President Buhari to prioritise education, urging that he advises the National Assembly to prepare a special budget to meet the demands of ASUU, trusting that the deadlock between the two parties could be solved with funds from the Service Wide Vote (SWV).

Owoaje further urged President Buhari to organise a national summit on education to salvage tertiary education in the country and avoid a repeat of the disturbance of academic activities in the institutions.