he Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said a strike would commence if nothing is done by the Federal Government after February 12 and 13.
The Chairman of the Kwara State University branch, Malete, Dr. Salau Sheu, confirmed the development.
She said the National Executive Council of ASUU will meet at the University of Lagos on February 12 and 13.
ASUU is demanding that the Federal Government implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the union last year.
Sheu, however, claimed the government is avoiding its responsibility by asking ministers to oversee the implementation of the MoA.
She said, “It is wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to assign two ministers to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed last year with ASUU.
“First, the assigned ministers are not part of the agreement. Only the ministers of Finance and Education were part of the agreement.
“ASUU is having its National Executive Council meeting at the University of Lagos on February 12 and 13.
“If nothing is done by the government between now and then, the lecturers may go on strike.”
The Chairman of the University of Ilorin branch of ASUU, Prof Moyosore Ajao, said the branch would observe the work-free day today (Tuesday.)
Members of the University of Abuja chapter of the union are also set to meet on Wednesday over the proposed industrial action.
The Chairman of ASUU in the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr Biodun Olaniran, and Secretary, Dr Toyin Abegunrin, on their part, urged Nigerians to prevail on the government to avert the impending strike.
They said ASUU had allowed many stakeholders to talk to the government, which had portrayed the union as a dog, which could only bark but could not bite.
The statement issued read in part, “Our union, ASUU, is using this medium to call upon the Federal Government of Nigeria once again to implement the agreement it signed with ASUU. It is unfortunate to mention that the FG signed an agreement with the ASUU since 2009, but the agreement is not implemented till date.
“The agreement was renegotiated in the name of peace. But to our dismay, the government has refused to sign the renegotiated agreement. In order to make the implementation of the agreement easy for the FG, the union has limited its demand to only three.
“These include the signing/implementation of the renegotiated agreement of 2009; and the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Software instead of the controversial IPPIS.”
- PMNEWSNIGERIA