The media calls it breaking news. The news is that the Federal Government has given the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, one week ultimatum to call off the ongoing strike. The acting Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.
This may not be unconnected to the frustration the union has put the government through in a bid to end the niggling strike. I think to some extent the members of ASUU are not considerate of students’ plight as they fight the government.They are already losing the sympathy of average Nigerians, including this writer, who believe they had no genuine cause because of their latest demands on salary.
The government has virtually met most of the union’s demand but the ASUU members are bent on the immediate payment the four month wages in arrears. Simply put, ASUU wants to receive salary for the four months they refuse to work. I will allow my readers to judge that.
Before this development, Nigerians had been kept on suspense on the resumption day of the affected universities, thinking the union may call-off the almost five months old industrial action.
The ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike on July 1, 2013 following the failure of the Federal Government to implement part of the 2009 agreement reached by the two parties.
The union’s demands include the upward review of the retirement age for professors from 65 to 70, adequate funding to revitalize the university system, progressive increase of budgetary allocations to the education sector by 26 per cent, transfer of Federal Government property to universities, setting up of research and development units by companies, payment of earned allowances and renegotiation of the signed agreement.
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