Some
civil society groups and students’ organisations, on Tuesday, staged a
protest march against the prolonged impasse between the Federal
Government and the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities.
The placard-carrying protesters said the Federal Government-ASUU disagreement had paralysed academic work in the universities.
The angry groups include the Concerned
Nigerian Students; Coalition of Edo Youths Organisation; Edo Youth
Congress; Edo State Students; Comrade Across the Nation; South-South
Youth League; and Edo Youth for Good Government.
They converged on the Nigeria Union of
Journalists’ Press Centre, in Benin, berating the Federal Government
over what they described as government’s unwillingness to address the
rot in the nation’s universities.
The protesters, who brandished placards
with inscriptions such as, “We are Nigerian Undergraduates Unemployed,”
“Education is a Right,” and “Federal Government Answer ASUU,” among
others, said the breakdown in the FG/ASUU talk should be blamed on the
former.
Former ASUU chairman, University of
Benin chapter, Dr. Kashetu Ilavbare, said the presence of some of the
ASUU members in the midst of the protesters was to guide them, so that
they would not take the laws into their hands.
He said, “We don’t have anything to do
with them; but we got information that they were on the road, so we
came to guide them so that they will not destroy anything and to make it
peaceful. You can see they are rational people.
“There is need for infrastructure both
in the schools and outside, so that is why we are trying to ensure they
don’t go on the rampage.”
The protesters in a statement read by
one Omobude Agho, called on patriotic Nigerians to support the action
and to enlighten parents and others on why they were agitating.
The statement read in part,
“Investigations have shown that the issues at stake are far and above
the demand for higher wages. ASUU has resumed its strike because the
Federal Government of Nigeria has failed to honour the agreement that it
entered into with ASUU in 2009.
“This agreement provided for government
funding of quality higher education for Nigerians. Provision of teaching
and learning facilities, lab equipment for science students and
research grants, payment of earned allowances, retirement age and
progressive increase in annual budgetary allocation to the educational
sector of 26 per cent, which is the UN standard.
“ASUU has used all alternatives possible
in labour relations: lobbying, negotiations, letters, warning strikes,
begging, press releases and conferences. However, government has refused
to honour the agreement that it willingly signed with ASUU.”
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