Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment utterances confirm plans to destroy public universities – ASUU alleges

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the utterances of Ministers of Education Adamu Adamu and that of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, are clear move of federal government to destroy public universities.

The union also alleged that the ill-intent of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to deprive teeming Nigerian youths of quality university education is now in the open.

SOLACEBASE had reported that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said it suspended its eight-month strike action in compliance with Court orders as a Union of intellectuals and law abiding citizens.

This was contained in a statement issued and jointly signed by Kano University of Science and Technology, (KUST) Wudil, Academic Staff Union of Universities, chairman and secretary, Muhammad Sani Gaya and Murtala Muhammad, respectively, on Thursday.

The statement said act of withholding the seven (7) month salaries and payment of October salary on pro-rata basis is another testimony of efforts of the federal government to put an end to qualitative university education through public intuitions in Nigeria.

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The union said the Federal Government may wish to be reminded that academics in the Nigeria Universities are not casual staff.

The statement reads’, ‘’It is however, quite disheartening that the Federal Government under the present administration of Major General Muhammad Buhari (rtd) resolved to withhold seven months salaries of our members and payment of pro-rated salary for the month of October 2022.

‘’This decision is ill-informed and a clear demonstration of either government’s ignorance on the responsibilities of academic staff or a flagrant abuse of office. The duties are clearly spelt out in the laws establishing the universities, which are easily verifiable.’’

According to the statement,’’As at today, Nigeria ranked third (3rd) in Africa with highest number of documents in Scopus database as indicated in Scimago (https://www.scimagojr.com) due to volumes of research outputs.

‘’Equally, in other reputable international databases, the Nigerian academics are making the country proud despite the precarious working condition and deliberate underfunding.’’

‘’ASUU-KUST therefore condemned in strong terms, this singular action and call on Federal Government to immediately address the issues for industrial harmony to be sustained.

‘’Mischievously, the Federal Government deliberately refused to implement all the agreements freely/duly signed in 2017, 2019 and 2020.’’

‘’This is not unconnected with the fact that the wards of ruling elites are either schooling abroad or in private universities in Nigeria. ‘’

‘’For the records, we want the public to note that the union will never be distracted from salvaging Nigerian University system.’’