The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is not satisfied with the federal government response over its demands.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in a statement entitled: ‘ASUU strikes are to save public universities’ issued at the end of the Union National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting on Tuesday in Abuja indicated that as reasons that informed the decision to declare the strike inadequate.
Osodeke said that the meeting was called to review developments since its last resolution that rolled over the nationwide strike action for another four weeks starting from August 1.
“In view of the foregoing, and following extensive deliberations on government’s response to the resolution of February 14, 2022, so far, NEC concluded that the demands of the union had not been satisfactorily addressed.
“Consequently, NEC resolved to transmute the roll-over strike to a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike action beginning from 12.01a.m. on Monday, August 29, 2022,’’ he said.
According to him, NEC observed with regret that the union has experienced a lot of deceit of the highest level in the last five and half years as the Federal Government engaged ASUU in fruitless and unending negotiation without a display of utmost fidelity.
Osodeke said that ASUU and other well-meaning Nigerians had expressed serious disappointment and consternation on the attitude of the government conveyed by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
He said that for the avoidance of doubt, however, none of the issues that forced the union to resume the suspended strike as listed in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) had been satisfactorily addressed by the government to date.
“ The draft renegotiated FGN-ASUU Agreement (second draft) remains unsigned; the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) has not been adopted and deployed to replace the discredited Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“The White Papers on Visitation Panels to federal universities, if ready as claimed by government more than six months ago, are nowhere to be found,” he said.
He said similarly, government had not delivered on the promised balance of one tranche of the Revitalisation Fund more than one year after, the outstanding two tranches of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) had not been released.
He added that nothing had since happened on the promised support for amendment to the Law of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stem the tide of proliferation of universities, especially by the state governments.
“NEC was utterly disappointed in agents of government, especially the Minister of Education, for the deliberate falsehood and misrepresentation of facts aimed at scoring cheap political gains.
“It is disheartening to imagine that a minister whose responsibility it is to resolve the crisis can overnight turn round to lead in this ignoble enterprise of distorting facts and misleading Nigerians,’’ he said.
He said NEC observed with displeasure that some mischievous Vice-Chancellors and Chairpersons of Governing Councils of State Universities have evolved disingenuous underhand tactics to undermine the current ASUU struggle in their various universities.
The union president said “ASUU struggles are to save Nigerian public universities irrespective of ownership federal or state.”
He said ASUU shall use all legitimate means at its disposal to protect and defend the interests of its members in public universities who might be victimised on the account of the ongoing struggles.
Osodeke said the NEC noted with pains, its concerns for Nigerian students “who are also our wards and foster children” and condemned government’s seeming indifference to their plights.
He said the union empathised with the students, parents, and other stakeholders in the universities.
He said NEC reaffirmed its belief in the sanctity of a stable academic system.
“Were it within our control, our universities would never have been shut for one day.
“However, ASUU was forced into taking this painful decision to prevent members of the Nigerian children from the ruling class and their foreign collaborators from further destroying whatever is left of our public universities. We are all victims.
“We need the understanding, solidarity and sacrifices of all to ensure that every qualified Nigerian youth who cannot afford the cost of private university education or foreign studies has unhindered access to quality university education,’’ he said.
He said ASUU strikes were aimed at saving public education, and ensuring that governments (Federal and State) use “our common patrimony to support quality public university education. This is our collective obligation.”
He said NEC acknowledged with appreciation past and current efforts by eminent Nigerians and groups to mediate in the lingering crisis.
He said that ASUU would remain focused on the full implementation of the December 23, 2020 Memorandum of Action for quick restoration of industrial harmony in Nigeria’s public universities.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by the Federal Government asking for permission to extradite the detained Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari, to the United States of America, USA.
Kyari is wanted in the USA to face trial over his alleged involvement with a notorious internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
Delivering a judgement, Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that the extradition application FG filed through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was incompetent and lack of merit.
Justice Ekwo held that Malami, being the Chief Law Officer of the country, ought to be aware that the Extradition Act, forbade the surrendering of a defendant that is already facing trial before a competent court in the country.
He wondered why the AGF approached the court with the extradition application when he was equally the one that issued FIAT to the National Drug Law Enforcement, NDLEA, to prosecute DCP Kyari on drug related charges.
The judge said the law was clear that Kyari, having been docked before a court of competent jurisdiction in the country that he should not be surrendered until the case against him has been discharged either by his conviction or acquittal.
Justice Ekwo added that Malami could not say that he was not aware of the pending proceeding against the defendant which was entered against him by the NDLEA.
While FG maintained that it had met all condition precedents for the suspended DCP to be sent to the US to answer to a criminal charge that is pending against him, on the other hand, Kyari, challenged the legal competence of the extradition request against him.
Kyari is wanted in the U.S. to stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft.
A grand jury had in April 29, 2021, filed an indictment against him with the approval of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, after which a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Hushpuppi had earlier pleaded guilty to the alleged $1.1million fraud charge against him, even as the US Attorney’s Office for Central District of California, Los Angeles, revealed that he will be sentenced on September 21, 2022.
