ASUU Says Lecturers, Students Are Victims of Government Inaction

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said that its members, like Nigerian students, are victims of the Federal Government’s inaction in addressing the challenges confronting the education sector.

ASUU National President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, stated this on Monday during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.

His remarks come barely 24 hours after university lecturers began a two-day warning strike to press home their demands for improved working conditions and the implementation of previous agreements with the government.

“Both Nigerian students and the lecturers are victims of government inaction and several other things,” Prof. Piwuna said.
“So, we see ourselves as victims of this government the way students see themselves as victims of what is going on.”

Responding to comments by the Minister of Education that the Federal Government had met ASUU’s demands, Piwuna said the union would not engage in a war of words but stressed the need for genuine collaboration.

“It is not my plan to respond to what the Minister of Education said — that the Federal Government has met all our plans. He’s a minister appointed by President Bola Tinubu. He’s our boss, but we need to work hand-in-hand,” he stated.

ASUU had on Sunday declared a two-day warning strike to protest the government’s failure to address issues relating to salary arrears, university funding, and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG agreement.