ASUU REJECTS RE-NEGOTIATION OF 2009 AGREEMENT

Hope for the quick resolution of the lingering dispute between the
federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
deemed on Thursday.

This is coming on the heels of ASUU's rejection of the government's
call for the re-negotiation of the 2009 agreement it reached with the
union.


The Chairman, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, chapter of ASUU, Dr
Ifeanyi Abada, said this while briefing journalists after the union's
congress, which was attended by some national and zonal officers.

He said UNN ASUU and other chapters of ASUU nationwide were determined
to withhold their services until the Federal Government implemented
the 2009 agreement it signed with ASUU.

He said: "ASUU cannot be cajoled by any unbridled campaign or
blackmail as currently being paddled by some federal government
officials.

"The union is worried by the insincerity of government and condemns
this perfidy in its entirety".

ASUU further demanded the removal of Prof Julius Okogie, NUC Executive
Secretary, who it said had instead of mediating between the union and
the government, morphed into another political valve through which
universities were further demeaned and derailed.

"Okogie should be invited by government to account for over N100
billion universities stabilization fund. He has demonstrated that he
has outlived his usefulness and bereft of innovative ideas and
aptitude to turn universities around", he said.

He called on education stakeholders, the clergy and traditional rulers
to prevail on government to respect the 2009 agreement it entered with
ASUU.



According to him, "We are not asking for government to fill our
pockets with money but that universities should be well funded. It is
unfortunate that students in some universities take lectures in open
places and in stadium.

"We are tired of producing half-baked graduates because of
ill-equipped libraries, laboratories, lack of classrooms while some
politicians squander money meant to develop the country".

Also speaking, Dr Chide Osuagwu, zonal coordinator, ASUU Nsukka Zone
which include; UNN, UNIZIK, ESUT, Anambra State University and Ebony
State University, said ASUU had exercised enough patience since 2009
the agreement was signed.

He insisted that government should implement the agreement if it
wanted lectures to go back to class.

"ASUU will not attend any re-negotiating meting called by government.
If government had known it cannot implement the agreement, why did it
sign it?

"What government is doing is teaching Nigerians to always be insincere
as well as renege in agreements, which is a very bad example", he
said.

In a remark, the past UNN-ASUU chairman, Prof Aloysius Okolie said
government's inability to allocate UNESCO twenty six percent minimum
requirement annual budget to education was an indication that
government does not care about quality of education in the country

"Government should consider future of Nigerian students and fulfill
its own part of agreement it reached with ASUU.

"It is shameful that war-torn country like Somalia as well as other
smaller countries of the world who value education allocate above
twenty six percent to education in their countries", he observed.

About 200 lecturers across the country attended the congress, which
lasted for several hours.

Culled from: Dailypost