Asuu rejects Buhari's call for them to return to work until the government signs their agreement

NIGERIA'S Academic Staff Union of Universities (Asuu) has rejected President Muhammadu Buhari's offer to end their nationwide strike saying his recent comment that enough is enough is nothing but sad.

Asuu, Nigeria's lecturers union us currently on strike over working conditions and remuneration, forcing the closure of the country's universities. On Monday, President Buhari called on Asuu, who have been on strike since February 14, to return to their classrooms in the interest of Nigeria's students and the country.

However, the Asuu leadership has rejected his offer, recalling the  number of times the federal government had breached agreements they had reached, saying the union should be the one saying enough is enough. However, the union reiterated that it was ready to call off the strike if the government okays its two main demands which are the acceptance of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (Utas) and the renegotiated 2009 pact.

Asuu advised the president to leave a legacy for himself by doing the needful to end the face-off. However, Asuu president Emmanuel Osodeke, said that it was sad that almost a month after  the union leadership concluded negotiations with the Nimi Briggs committee, the government had yet to get back to it.

Dr Osodeke said it was the same outcome last year when the union had a pact with the Professor Munzali Jubril committee on the condition of service for university teachers. He lamented the fact that the government failed to honour the agreement reached in May 2021.

 “We have given our conditions for returning to the classrooms. The government set up a committee to negotiate with us and when they came, we asked them do you have the mandate of the government to negotiate and they said yes.

“We asked them does it mean that whatever we agree with will be accepted by the government? and they said yes. We started negotiations and we finished on the 16th of June 2022. They said they were going back to show their principal and get permission to sign but we have been waiting till now.

“It is we who should be saying enough is enough. They did that in 2021 and it took one year to come back and they are doing it again. We have told the country that any day that they agree to sign and agree on a new salary payment system Utas, we will call off the strike immediately," Dr Osodeke added.

He pointed out that government ministers were put in office by the average Nigerian whose children have been suffering today but their own children are abroad enjoying themselves. According to Dr Osodeke , they should listen to those who elected them and the Nigerian people are saying enough is enough, that the government should respond to Asuu’s demands.