Senate urges FG to withdraw sack threat
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday insisted that its members will not resume work today, despite the fresh ultimatum issued by the Federal Government to call off the ongoing strike or be sacked.
It will be recalled that government shifted the seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to the striking lecturers, from December 4 to December 9.
The extension, according to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, was a mark of respect for the former National President of ASUU, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in an auto crash on his way to a National Executive Committee meeting of the union in Kano and was buried at the weekend.
The National Treasurer of the union, Dr. Ademola Aremu, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, said the union members would not resume until their demands were met.
He said, “Our position has not changed because we are still on strike. When we met the president, we had a number of agreements but when the presidency communicated to us, we noticed some gaps.
“We have written to the government on our observation but up till now, it has not responded. The only response from government representatives was the accusation against us that we are making new demands. This was after the letter we wrote to the government was exposed to the whole world.
“ASUU is not asking for anything new; what we are saying is that government should perfect the documentation binding the agreement we had with it. We know the agreement we had with the government and we will stand on it.”
He accused government of inconsistency with the shift in ultimatum issued, accusing it of playing politics with the death of Iyayi.
“The government did not play any role in the burial of Iyayi, who died in the struggle. The Federal Government should have been more responsive instead of threatening our members with sack. The system was used during the military era and it did not work. Why will it work in a democratic environment? I don’t think any right thinking government will use threat to achieve peace,” he added.
While reacting to the statement issued by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, that the Federal Government was ready to pay the four months’ salary arrears owed academic staff who returns to work, Dr. Aremu said the decision was part of the ploy by the government not to make things work in the education sector.
He however assured that the move would not cause division in ASUU.
“This government does not want things to work at all. We wrote to the government that we noticed some gaps but instead of writing us back to clear issues, it began to use threat as a weapon. It now said that those who resume on Monday will get the four month salary being owed. Don’t you think the government cannot be trusted?
“I don’t think anyone who is worth the certificate he is using to work as a lecturer will panic because of four months salary. You only treat casual workers in such way and not people with intellectual endowment. ASUU members are not casual workers, so Okojie’s position will not shake us,” he said.
The ASUU leader also said since the union did not close the universities; it would have nothing against their reopening by the governing councils.
He said: “The governing councils of the schools are free to open the schools because we did not close it. We are only withdrawing our services. The councils are doing their own work but they cannot force ASUU members to return to the classrooms.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to create the right platform for a peaceful and quick resolution of the current impasse by withdrawing the threat to sack the lecturers.
Speaking at Ugbegun in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, where the late Professor Iyayi was buried, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said that issuance of threats and deadline to lecturers was not the best way to resolve the impasse.
“I condemn all provocative statements from whosoever. We are all Nigerians. ASUU members are Nigerians committed to the development of the Nigerian state. We have interacted with them and they are committed to the uplifting of the education sector along with others, who are also committed to the sector. So, issuing threats by whosoever is condemnable,” Bagudu said.
He noted that his committee has been at the forefront of efforts to resolve the crisis in the last five months by engaging in negotiations with ASUU and the Federal Government.
He recalled how the Senate had through a motion, attempted to address the crisis before now by calling for greater maturity and statesmanship necessary to resolve the issues.
He said the Senate, perhaps, was now required to do more, which the unfortunate death of Iyayi has slowed down.
“But I can assure you that the Senate and the Committee on Education, particularly, will do their best to get this issue resolved,” he said.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, yesterday insisted that its members will not resume work today, despite the fresh ultimatum issued by the Federal Government to call off the ongoing strike or be sacked.
It will be recalled that government shifted the seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to the striking lecturers, from December 4 to December 9.
The extension, according to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, was a mark of respect for the former National President of ASUU, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in an auto crash on his way to a National Executive Committee meeting of the union in Kano and was buried at the weekend.
The National Treasurer of the union, Dr. Ademola Aremu, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, said the union members would not resume until their demands were met.
He said, “Our position has not changed because we are still on strike. When we met the president, we had a number of agreements but when the presidency communicated to us, we noticed some gaps.
“We have written to the government on our observation but up till now, it has not responded. The only response from government representatives was the accusation against us that we are making new demands. This was after the letter we wrote to the government was exposed to the whole world.
“ASUU is not asking for anything new; what we are saying is that government should perfect the documentation binding the agreement we had with it. We know the agreement we had with the government and we will stand on it.”
He accused government of inconsistency with the shift in ultimatum issued, accusing it of playing politics with the death of Iyayi.
“The government did not play any role in the burial of Iyayi, who died in the struggle. The Federal Government should have been more responsive instead of threatening our members with sack. The system was used during the military era and it did not work. Why will it work in a democratic environment? I don’t think any right thinking government will use threat to achieve peace,” he added.
While reacting to the statement issued by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, that the Federal Government was ready to pay the four months’ salary arrears owed academic staff who returns to work, Dr. Aremu said the decision was part of the ploy by the government not to make things work in the education sector.
He however assured that the move would not cause division in ASUU.
“This government does not want things to work at all. We wrote to the government that we noticed some gaps but instead of writing us back to clear issues, it began to use threat as a weapon. It now said that those who resume on Monday will get the four month salary being owed. Don’t you think the government cannot be trusted?
“I don’t think anyone who is worth the certificate he is using to work as a lecturer will panic because of four months salary. You only treat casual workers in such way and not people with intellectual endowment. ASUU members are not casual workers, so Okojie’s position will not shake us,” he said.
The ASUU leader also said since the union did not close the universities; it would have nothing against their reopening by the governing councils.
He said: “The governing councils of the schools are free to open the schools because we did not close it. We are only withdrawing our services. The councils are doing their own work but they cannot force ASUU members to return to the classrooms.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to create the right platform for a peaceful and quick resolution of the current impasse by withdrawing the threat to sack the lecturers.
Speaking at Ugbegun in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, where the late Professor Iyayi was buried, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said that issuance of threats and deadline to lecturers was not the best way to resolve the impasse.
“I condemn all provocative statements from whosoever. We are all Nigerians. ASUU members are Nigerians committed to the development of the Nigerian state. We have interacted with them and they are committed to the uplifting of the education sector along with others, who are also committed to the sector. So, issuing threats by whosoever is condemnable,” Bagudu said.
He noted that his committee has been at the forefront of efforts to resolve the crisis in the last five months by engaging in negotiations with ASUU and the Federal Government.
He recalled how the Senate had through a motion, attempted to address the crisis before now by calling for greater maturity and statesmanship necessary to resolve the issues.
He said the Senate, perhaps, was now required to do more, which the unfortunate death of Iyayi has slowed down.
“But I can assure you that the Senate and the Committee on Education, particularly, will do their best to get this issue resolved,” he said.
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