Striking university teachers on Thursday asked the Federal Government to
concede to the demands of the union instead of "begging parents and
students."
The Federal Government on Wednesday had appealed to parents and students
to bear with it in what it described as the unfortunate consequences of
the closure of the universities.
However, reacting to the appeal, the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, noted that the
solution to the industrial action was for the Federal Government to do
what was proper.
He said, "If they want the strike to end today, they know what to do.
They have the enablement to do that. To say they are begging parents and
students, to me, is a distraction. How can they just beg, how will
begging solve the problem?
"When the Senate asked for N100m, did they beg them? They provided the
money. Instead of begging, they should go and do the needful and then
the crisis will just end. There is no need to prolong the strike when
you know what to do."
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labran Maku, who made the
appeal, said the government had resolved to end the crisis because of
the damages perennial strikes had inflicted on the nation's education
sector.
The minister expressed the confidence that the negotiation currently
spearheaded by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, and the
Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufa'i, would soon produce the
desired result.
The union embarked on the indefinite strike five weeks ago following the
failure of the Federal Government to implement part of the 2009
agreement reached by both parties.
The union's demands include an upward review of retirement age for
professors from 65 to 70, adequate funding to revitalise the university
system, progressive increase of budgetary allocations to education,
transfer of Federal Government property to universities, setting up of
research and development units by companies, payment of earned
allowances and renegotiation of the signed agreement
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