SERAP PETTITIONS FG TO UNITED NATIONS OVER ASUU STRIKE

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has dragged the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over "a serious breach of the obligations by Nigeria under the International Covenant on...
Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights to progressively realise the right to
educationin accordance with the country's maximum available
resources."
The group said: "This fundamental breach is due primarily to the
persistent refusal by the government to honour the agreement with
members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU."
In the petition, SERAP's Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni
said: "Although the government in 2009 agreed with ASUUto improve the
governance structures and funding for the operation of
Universitiesacross the country to around 26 per cent for the period
covering 2009-2020, the terms of the agreement have remained largely
unfulfilled.
"Conditions of service for staff members of the country's
Universitiesremain very poor.
"Further the right of the students to freedom of assembly and
association is not fully and effectively respected by the
authorities."
The petition sent to the committee through the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, also stated that,
"under international law, Nigeria is required to demonstrate that, in
aggregate, the measures being taken are sufficient to realise the
right to educationfor Nigerian children in the shortest possible time
using the maximum available resources."