The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) expressed dismay at President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent statement reminding the union’s members that their ongoing strike had reached “enough” point.
President Buhari expressed concern over the protracted strike on Monday, saying it had lasted too long.
“We hope that ASUU will sympathize with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake,” he said.
But in response, Osodeke said he did not understand why President Buhari behaved in that manner because “we are not the one delaying the students at home” when he spoke on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.
He said, “The Federal Government has sent its team to negotiate with us and we have finished. Instead of coming back to us to tell us the outcome of the meeting, we are hearing this.
“If you set up a committee to negotiate on your behalf, and the committee has finished and they have brought the information to you to sign and then you said enough is enough, what does this mean?” he said.
The Minister of Labor, Chris Ngige, was harshly criticized by the ASUU President for calling him out on his lies.
Contrary to Osodeke’s assertion, Ngige stated in a statement on Wednesday that there was no “collective bargaining agreement” between the FG and ASUU that was ready for the President to sign.
The ongoing conflicts between the FG and ASUU leaders have helped to exacerbate both parties’ predicament, suggesting that the ASUU strike may last for some time.
“What the Minister of Labour has done is a complete insult to the character of people like Professor Nimi Briggs, Senator Chris Adighije, and Professor Olu Obafemi,” Osodeke said during the show in response to Ngige’s comment.
“The minister instead of looking for how to resolve the problem is busy abusing his colleagues, abusing even the Minister of Education.
“It is so sad that we have gotten to a stage where our children are lamenting at home and the Minister of Labour is busy churning out fake information and misinforming the public, trying to undermine the integrity of ASUU,” he said.
The Minister of Labor, Chris Ngige, was harshly criticized by the ASUU President for calling him out on his lies.
Contrary to Osodeke’s assertion, Ngige stated in a statement on Wednesday that there was no “collective bargaining agreement” between the FG and ASUU that was ready for the President to sign.
The ongoing conflicts between the FG and ASUU leaders have helped to exacerbate both parties’ predicament, suggesting that the ASUU strike may last for some time.
“What the Minister of Labour has done is a complete insult to the character of people like Professor Nimi Briggs, Senator Chris Adighije, and Professor Olu Obafemi,” Osodeke said during the show in response to Ngige’s comment.
The other members are Pro-Chancellor of Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Mathew Seiyefa from South-South, Pro-Chancellor of Kano State University of Science & Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu from North West, and Pro-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi from North-Central.
On February 14, 2022, ASUU started its strike, alleging various requests that the FG had not complied with as justification.
Paying wage arrears, improving working conditions, renegotiating the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement, paying earned academic allowances, raising money for the revival of public universities, paying promotion arrears, and inadequate funding of state universities are some of the demands.
