ASUU Vows To Resist FG’s ‘Anti-People Politics’

As the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) entered its seventh week, Wednesday, the union has vowed to resist what it described as Federal Government’s anti-people politics and principle of collective bargaining.
Dr. O.A. Timothy Namo, Chairman of ASUU, university of Jos chapter, told a news conference in Jos, that the PDP-led Federal Government planned to abrogate the principle of collective bargaining and privatise and commercialise university education.
He told newsmen that ASUU would resist the Federal Government anti-people policies at all cost. Besides, the ASUU chieftain lamented Federal Government’s denial that there was an agreement between it and the union. Giving the history of the agreement, which he said dated back to 2001, Dr. Namo stated that the documents were supposed to have undergone the fifth review.
Lamenting that federal government has continued to play politics with signing and implementation of the agreement, he stated that the negotiation was concluded in Dec, 2008.
According to him, in January this year, the draft agreement was ready for signing. He said since then the Federal Government has continued to play politics with the signing and implementation of the agreement.
He said: “Permit me to stress that Government has refused to tell Nigerians why it has not signed the agreement it freely negotiated and entered into with the union in line with the principle of collective bargaining……”
Bemoaning the Post-University Matriculation Examination (UME) university of Jos conducted last week for 28,000 candidates, through a Lagos-based consultancy firm, he alleged that candidates were charged N1,300.00 each, as against the federal government approved N1000. This means that the university authorities became richer by N36.4million.
Consequently, the union said it has dissociated itself from the post UME screening. Besides, it condemned the exercise, calling for its cancellation.
Expressing loss of confidence on the University’s Senate, it passed a vote of no confidence on the outcome of the post UME screening. Dr. Namo equally expressed concern on the indiscriminate ways and manner the university was pursuing funds.