The striking Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Nigerian government’s ‘Back to Class’ order, describing it as a political blackmail.
The Federal government had on November 28 issued a seven day ultimatum to Asuu and threatened to sack lecturers that failed to resume duties by December 4.
Responding to the seven day ultimatum issued by the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, ASUU maintained that it would not be threatened/blackmailed.
“We shall never succumb to this. Our country is our union’s constituency. We shall bow only to what we, as academics, are convinced will serve the interest of Nigeria and its people,” the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Mr. Nasir Faggae, told reporters on Monday in Abuja.
“ASUU’s invoking of the non-victimisation clause, rather than being an introduction of a new demand, is a common position that the government should know about.”
“Out of the 52 branches of ASUU, 48, which is 92 per cent, advised conditional suspension of the strike if certain conditions are met,” the union’s leader said emphasising on the unions readiness to suspend the strike if the agreement is met.
“If the agreement is implemented as it is, within 3 to 5 years, we will see Nigerian Universities competing effectively with their peers in Africa, Asia and to an extent those in the western world,” he said.
The union urged the Federal Government to implement the agreement to enable them go back to class.
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