‘Force Nigerian govt to resolve dispute with ASUU,’ Activist charges students

Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the CHRSJ’s chairman, called for Nigerian university students on Monday to pressure the federal government to settle its conflict with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

On February 14, ASUU began a 30-day warning strike in protest of the federal government’s disregard for the deal that both sides had signed.
The union’s demands include, among other things, the adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) for the payment of members’ salaries. The union also wants public universities revitalised and the review of the lecturers’ conditions of service every five years.

Sulaiman, who made the call in a statement issued on Monday, stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has refused to fulfill its promise of making the country’s education sector better.

He expressed sadness that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would begin its campaign for the 2023 general election without resolving the lingering ASUU strike.

The statement read: “The APC government of President Buhari has failed woefully in the educational sector. This negates their promises on education in both 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.

“It is very bad that the APC government could continue with political activities for 2023 without resolving the burning ASUU strike.

“The ball is in the court of students. The current political leadership does not care because they have all their children trained in foreign lands and private universities

“The future of students has been put in jeopardy; they should do everything possible to put an end to ongoing industrial action.”