The union noted that the government had been dribbling the union since 2017 and was not sincere in finding a lasting solution to ASUU/Federal Government impasse.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has knocked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government for “deliberately and consciously” destroying public universities to promote private ones owned by the political class.
The ASUU branch in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, stated this in a release on Saturday by its chairman, Okey Aniebo, and secretary, David Enibe.
The union noted that the government had been dribbling the union since 2017 and was not sincere in finding a lasting solution to ASUU/Federal Government impasse.
ASUU said, “It is unfortunate that the Federal Government has been adopting lies, blackmail deceit and delay tactics to continue to renege on the 2009 ASUU FGN Agreement, the Federal Government is calculatingly dribbling ASUU since 2017 in finding solution to ASUU and FGN face-off.
“They have been deliberately stifling and killing the public universities in order to promote private universities, mostly owned by the political class, just as the government is only interested in campaign for the 2023 general elections than the welfare and future of the Nigeria youths.
“Even the Prof. Ali Munzuali and Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee, set up by the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 FGN ASUU Agreement, was not taken serious by the Federal Government and was frustrated by the same government that set it up."
It added, “Initially ASUU had believed that the government took the step in good faith so as to resolve the contentious issues towards having an end to the strike, but unfortunately the government abandoned the separate reports of the committee, thereby confirming the fear of ASUU that it is not interested in seeing an end to the strike.
“We, therefore, regret to inform the general public that the Federal Government of Nigeria is not serious about ending the ongoing strike but has adopted lies, blackmail, deceit and delay tactics to continue reneging on 2009 ASUU FGN Agreement.”