….demands release of White Paper on Visitation Panel Reports
The Acting Chairperson of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ebonyi State University Chapter, Comrade (Dr) Ikechuku O .Igwenyi, has reiterated that the Union would not back down on its 7- months old strike until its demands were sufficiently met by the Federal Government.
Apparently refering to the suit instituted against the Union by the Minister of Labour and Productivity Dr Chris Ngige, at the National Industrial Court, Dr Igwenyi described the action of taking ASUU to court as a clear testimony of irresponsibility.
Dr Igwenyi made the assertion in a Press Statement issued to newsmen in Abakaliki the Ebonyi State capital on Tuesday.
He called for a review of the negotiated 2009 FG/ASUU Agreement to ascertain possible performance rate and the expected outcome.
“According to the Statement, “It is considered that the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, is not only obsolete but unrealistic today, if truth must be told, because of the time value of money over 13 years of this negotiation’
“The fact is also that Nigerian leaders set wrong priorities and are not paying due attention to the demands of ASUU in this imbroglio, but rather join the unpatriotic gladiators that have no interest in nation building through quality education of Nigerians because their children are not attending schools here in Nigeria”
The Statement stated that the ₦1.1trillion outstanding revitalization fund, cannot achieve same objectives as prices of items like cement, rods, wood for furniture, reagents and chemicals, equipment and stationeries, Books and subscriptions, utility vehicles, fuel for generators and other consumables are no longer in tandem with the economic equivalents of same items 13 years ago”.
“It is for this same reason that ASUU is demanding for the release of the White Paper on the Visitation Panel Reports to assess the level of success or failure rate so far recorded in the funding for revitalization of public Universities.
” it becomes worrisome the attitude of Federal Government and Nigerian Leaders towards education, the policy makers today are beneficiaries of a robust result-oriented and functional educational system that offered Bursary awards to students, free or subsidized meals and medical services, decent hostel accommodation, standard recreational facilities, Government scholarships and little or no tuition’
The Statement cautioned that any position of Government that is not in tandem with the principles of the Union and collective bargaining must be resisted.
The Statement restated that the Agreement centered on Funding for revitalization, University autonomy, Academic Freedom, Renegotiation of conditions of service, outstanding Earned Academic Allowances, proliferation and funding of Public Universities.
“Obviously, Government has consistently shown insensitivity to the realities of the MOUs entered into with the Union.
” They will rather choose to keep ASUU distracted, blackmail the Union to sway public opinion against lecturers and keep the masses busy with IPPIS, threat of salary withdrawal and “No work, No pay” when the substance of the matter is glaring and incontrovertible”
It added that the struggle must continue until Government becomes responsible, responsive and alive to its duties and obligations to the people.
“ASUU will not back down until the demands of the Union are sufficiently met because it is ASUU members that plough the prairies, build the nations through intellectual and knowledge transfer and emancipate the people from mental slavery”
