ASUU: The Strike Will Continue, Even If It Takes Years Until Our Request Is Granted

The lingering strike actionn embarked on by
the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU,
Chairman, Kogi State University Chapter,
Sylvester Osakwe Ukwuteno, has said the
union is ready to fight until their request is
granted, even if takes more than a year, as he noted that Ghana experienced a year and
some months strike before the government
came to their senses and the outcome is
currently obvious, “we would do even more till
our request is granted,” he stated. Despite the N30 billion released to the striking
university lecturers as payment for the earned
allowances, Ukwuteno, has said that the
ongoing strike by the union will continue
because the Federal Government has not
strengthened its vision for the sector. Speaking to Vanguard Learning in a telephone
interview, Ukwuteno explained that if there are
plans for the sector, government would have
speedily concurred with the plea to innovate
the sector being pursued by the union, adding
that the pursuit of the union is to ensure that the country meets up with the international
standard of education. “We hope this would be the last strike that
will surface on this particular discourse,
hopefully if the government cares for
education because we will not budge until our
demands are met. The much emphasis of ‘no
money syndrome’ is all lies as the president could convey over 300 entourage including
himself, to China coupled with their
allowances, welfare and other incentives, they
should tell Nigerians where the money is
coming from. “The quest is not money motivated as
speculated, but to ensure that facilities and
other necessary equipment needed to update
the students are made scalable for effective
learning. Universities are currently operating
with little or no equipment in the labs, making the labs non-functional for practicals, thereby
sterilizing what is supposed to be practically
inclined. “It took Ghana a year and some months strike
before the government came to their senses
and the outcome is currently obvious, we
would do even more till our request is
granted.” He therefore urged the public to join in the
struggle by mounting pressure on the
government to hasten up in its decisions
because the students are the casualties now,
but will be the benefactors if eventually
granted.