The Akure Zone of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), has stated that the ongoing strike action by the union may last years if the Federal Government refuses to honour its agreement with the union holistically. This was disclosed by the Coordinator ASUU, Akure Zone, Professor Olu Olufayo during a Press Conference at ASUU Secretariat inside Obafemi Awolowo University Campus on Friday.
The union accused FG of neglecting the union for almost six months after the union commenced strike but quickly resumed negotiation with the union out of jittery of the #EndSARS protest embarked upon by youths across the country. He added that the few meetings with the federal government of late sadly have not produced solution(s) to these issues as the government is bent on dishonouring the agreement
He stated that unlike in the past, the union has resolved to remain on strike until the FG reaches concrete terms with respect to implementing the 2009 agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding in 2013 and the Memorandum of Actions signed in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
He noted that the federal government’s narrative that the union was on strike because of its rejection of IPPIS is an attempt to blackmail it, saying the union resumed strike over eleven (11) years old crisis bordering on funding for revitalisation of public universities, payment of backlog of earned allowances owed its members and renegotiation of 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.
According to him, the FG should declare a state of emergency in the education sector, shut the schools for two or even five years within which it can fix the problem in the sector and ensure quality education in the country.
