Strike: ASUU is lying, says FG

The Federal Government has accused the
Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities
(ASUU) of being economical with the truth on
lecturers prolonged industrial action in the
universities.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Youth and Students Matters, Com. Jude
Imagwe, stated that the claim by the union
that its action was to restore infrastructural
decay in universities was nothing but a lie,
noting that ASUU was fighting for allowances.
Imagwe was speaking in Abuja when he
received some youth groups, who were on a
visit to his office.
His words: “They initially told us that it was
about infrastructure, but it is about
allowances. N30b has been released for the
payment of their accumulated allowances, and
N100b earmarked for infrastructural
development. It is important for the public to
know that government did not say this is all
that it will give, but government says go and
start the payment with this amount and let us
know the amount it will add”.
Meanwhile, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian
Universities, SSANU, will tomorrow join ASUU
on strike as the union said it has mobilized its
members across the country to embark on
industrial action over alleged stoppage of their
salaries for two months.
SSANU, in a letter, dated 27 September, 2013,
and addressed to its branch chairmen in all the
universities in the country, directed its
members to stay away from work from
tomorrow until the salaries are fully paid.
The President of SSANU, Comrade Samson
Ugwoke, said the strike will be total, while the
General Secretary, who signed the letter
directing members to stay at home from
tomorrow, Comrade Promise Adewusi, said no
member should go back to work until a
counter directive was given.
Adewusi stated that the union took the
decision following its letters to the vice-
chancellors in universities, the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, Senator
Anyim Pius Anyim, Ministers of Labour and
Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and Education,
Nyesom Wike, as well as the Executive
Secretary, National Universities Commission,
Prof. Julius Okojie.
In the meantime, the suspended strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) is
to resume on Friday.
The union alleged insincerity and failure of the
Federal Government to honour agreement
entered with the union.
The union also passed a vote of no confidence
on the National Board for Technical Education
(NBTE), alleging that the board has failed to
meet the needs and demands of polytechnic
education in the country.