As the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are set to meet with the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in two days time, January 4, 2019, over corps member’s involvement in the February 2019 elections, ASUU has gone on to say that the ongoing strike would not end unless the government meets lecturers’ demands.
The president of the Union, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi in a recent interview said the strike, which is now in its seventh week is in the interest of everyone.
After several meetings with no positive result between the government and the union, there have been pleas to ASUU to call off the strike in the interest of the nation to enable final year students to start their National Youth Service Corps program and participate in the 2019 elections.
Since Monday, November 5, 2019, Nigerian University undergraduates have been forced to stay at home after ASUU declared an indefinite nationwide strike.
According to reports, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye had begged ASUU to suspend the strike for Nigeria’s sake and for the sake of democracy.
Okoye said, “The national interest, the interest of our democracy and the reputation of Nigeria demand the immediate resolution of the issues that led to the strike and we so urge. It is next to impossibility for members of the NYSC to provide all the ad hoc staff needs and requirements of the commission and over 70 per cent of the ad hoc staff requirement in some states of the federation is drawn from students of federal tertiary institutions”.
Meanwhile, ASUU president has said that the union also has the interest of Nigeria at heart adding that the union would meet the electoral commission on Friday, January 4, 2018, to exchange ideas.
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