The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Monday, warned Nigerians that if the Federal Government kept withholding their wages, a new crisis would break out in the country’s universities. The University of Ilorin, ASUU Chairman, Prof. Moyosore Ajao, raised the alarm at a special congress of the local branch held at the university’s main auditorium on Monday. The university lecturers had staged a solidarity rally within the University of Ilorin campus before returning to the auditorium, where they addressed journalists on ‘Casualisation of Intellectual Workers in Nigeria: Prelude to Our Response.’ The Secretary of the union, Dr. AbdulGaniyu Olatunji, while reading Ajao’s speech said Members of the public are hereby sensitized and put on notice again that a fresh crisis, which will surpass all previous ones is looming again in Nigerian universities as our members cannot and will not continue to do free work that will not be remunerated.
“We hope that with this notice, all relevant stakeholders, who have the ear of the government, will act fast before the fragile peace restored on our campuses nationwide collapse.”
“Our union and its members should not be held responsible for the consequences that its actions, in response to the Nigerian state, would have on all stakeholders.”
Similarly, the Chairman, University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Ayoola Akinwole; Chairman, University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the union, Dr. Dele Ashiru; a former National Treasurer of ASUU, Prof. Ademola Aremu, Femi Aborisade, parents and students, yesterday, protested the no-work-no-pay stance of the Federal Government.
The unionists, students and parents congregated at the Trenchard Hall with placards bearing various inscriptions such as “Teachers are nation builders,” “ASUU demands immediate payment of outstanding salaries,” and “Buhari must invest in education and stop looting” among others.
The UI ASUU Chairman said nobody should blame ASUU incase another crisis explodes in the education sector.
Aborisade noted that reneging on the agreement is against the Constitution of the country. He added that collective bargaining is binding and when it is not implemented, workers have the right to go on strike.
Ashiru said that if not for the struggle of ASUU, public education would have become nothing today.
“The protest is to draw the attention of stakeholders to another brewing crisis in education,” Ashiru said.