Update On ASUU Strike

UPDATE ON Asuu strike: Prepare for long strike, ASUU
warns FG
•Says, we need action, not words
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
said yesterday that it is not interested in further
negotiations with the Federal Government rather,
the implementation of some aspects of the 2009
agreement.
Addressing newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo State capital
to clarify issues, while officially declaring the
commencement of a full blown strike at the
University of Ibadan (UI) branch congress today,
ASUU National Treasurer, Dr Ademola Aramu,
urged the government to stop dragging issues by
“ talking, talking , talking with no action”, adding
that the Presidency should stop playing
tomfoolery with intellectuals.
Dr Aremu noted that ASUU is back again because
“we are dealing with a very difficult situation for
President Goodluck Jonathan, we may be in this
for so long time. We ought to embark on this
strike since June 15, but because of the love we
have for our profession, students, and parents,
we gave government time to act, but it refused.
“Nigerians believe that we are the one that can
save them, we know we are, the only way we can
do this is embarking on a strike. We are not
strike-hungry, but it is to make them
(government) fulfill their obligation. They said the
country is financially handicapped, Nigeria is
rich, we are making about 15 trillion naira from
crude oil sales alone yearly and the total budget
is about 5 trillion naira”, he said.
He noted that the Education Trust Fund (ETF) that
was meant to provide infrastructure support to
Nigerian universities is now allegedly used to
sponsor political appointees, adding that there
are wastages daily as government’s top
functionaries are establishing institutions outside
the country with taxpayers’ money.
“We are not interested in talking, talking, with no
action, they must shun this attitude and embark
on implementation of our 2009 agreement, if
they will not do this, we are not going to the
class. We want Nigerian students to know that we
are fighting for them, because this present
administration is promoting poverty. We are
speaking the town’s language, because the
present administration is putting the future of
education to shambles and the world will not be
destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who
watch without doing anything”.