FG should honour its agreement - ASUU waits for 2014 Budget

There are indications that the hierarchy of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is waiting for the presentation of the 2014 budget by  President Goodluch Jonathan before they take a decision on their protracted strike action, BusinessDay investigations have revealed.

Some members of the union suggest that the union is waiting to see the direction of the budget as regards ASUU’s demands.

Inside sources who spoke to BusinessDay on  condition of anonymity believe that the strike would be called off once their demands are reflected in the budget expected to be presented to the National Assembly by the President soon.

Giving the situation report, Biodun Badmus, the FUNAAB ASUU Chairman, who spoke with the media in Abeokuta, affirmed that the strike would continue,  as long as the Federal Government did not fulfil its pledges to the ASUU, saying the university lecturers would continue to comply with the ASUU’s directives 100 percent.

“Even the Senate meeting called on Thursday was not attended by any lecturers, we are told anybody that cares to listen that lecturers will observe 100 percent compliance with ASUU’s directives”, Badmus added.

The University of Ibadan chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)  on Monday defied the Federal Government’s directive to resume or get fired by Tuesday.

The university had in a release had asked students to return to campuses on January 4, 2014.

But University of Ibadan ASUU  sent a message to its members saying “Dear member, stay calm and remain resolute. There is nothing wrong in asking government to do what it says it will do immediately”.

Speaking on the strike, National Treasurer of ASUU, Ademola Aremu said academic staff cannot be humiliated by government.

The ASUU boss said there is nothing yet to show for the five month old strike if the union returns back to the classroom without documenting and getting the funds it asked for public universities from the federal government.

Aremu who noted that the strike was still fully on course nationwide stated that Information Minister Labaran Maku lied that it has released N45billion to schools as Earned Allowances.

He said that the federal governments should document its claim that it has deposited N200billion in the Central Bank of Nigeria in a letter and communicate with the union, rather engaging in media propaganda.