The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday, threatened to shut down academic activities in universities across the country for the next ten years, if the ongoing negotiations with the federal government turned out to be unfruitful.
The ASUU Chairman, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra State, Prof Kingsley Ubaorji disclosed this during a protest march today, to register their grievances over the federal government’s non-implementation of all renegotiations of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and other sundry demands.
He said it was regrettable that lecturers with noble professions resorted to street protest, describing it as an insult on the part of the government.
He said, “I want to let us know that the government is aware of what we’re doing. There are already negotiations between ASUU NEC and FG.
“That negotiation will turn out to be good. Otherwise, we’ll close the university for the next 10 years.
“It’s either they hear us or they hear us. That’s why we insist that the strike will last as long as the government remains insincere both internal and external.
“See what government has turned lecturers that supposed to be noble men and women into- demonstrating on the streets.
“This is a sign of insult from government And if they continue, they may not like what will come out of it. We’d rather go hungry than continue to tolerate the insult, Ubaorji said.
Appreciating members of the Union for trouping out en-masse to join in the protest, the NAU ASUU boss encouraged them not to give up until their demands were met.
“I want to encourage us to keep faith because what we’re doing is right and noble, demanding for your right is the right thing to do.
“Whoever occupies the position, whether from North, South, East or West, we’ll still do the same thing when the conditions are not met. The same thing with who occupies this Aso Rock of NAU.
“I know anytime we have congress some people believe I’m insulting them, but the truth remains, until you stay the other side of the divide, you’ll know it’s not an insult.
“As ASUU Chairperson, I’m the Chairman of Violence. So I’m supposed to be saying it the same way I hear it from my members.
“We appreciate all the Principal officers who joined us in the protest. This singular act that you’re really with us. But we know our saboteurs. We’re watching,” he added.
Earlier in a press conference, Ubaorji had called on the Federal Government to reverse the recently constituted appointment of old politicians into the governing Council of Nigerian universities.
He accused the federal government of dissolving the federal universities’ governing council without due process and appointing very old politicians, insisting that University governing councils were not retirement homes for old politicians.
He said, “ASUU demands immediate reversal of appointment of very old politicians as members of the governing council of federal universities in Nigeria.
“Those appointed into the council are old politicians without knowledge of university administration. University Council cannot be a dumping ground for old politicians.
“Our union condemns the dissolution of governing councils without due process. Governing Councils are crucial for the governance and strategic direction of our universities.
“Therefore, the illegal and arbitrary dissolution of the Governing Council whose tenures have not ended undermines Nigerian universities’ autonomy and smooth functioning. This cannot be tolerated as it lays a very bad precedent.
“Even the membership of the said newly reconstituted Councils is problematic. A critical look at the list of the newly constituted Governing Council shows that it is made up of very old politicians who do not understand the academic system and its administrative processes.
“Our public universities should not be a retirement home for politicians. We therefore call on the Tinubu-led Government to do the needful by reversing its decision on the University Governing Councils’ dissolution.
“Our union maintains that the proliferation of public universities without provisions for adequate funding and infrastructure does not auger well for our university system.”
