The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has tabled new requests before the federal government as the union’s strike enters the eighth month.
The lecturers have been at home over the controversy on the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), government’s failure to release revitalization funds for the universities, among others.
However, the Akure branch of the union in a new statement reported by Nigerian Tribune is asking the federal government to put in place two major things to make the nation’s education and health sectors better.
First, the union called for a ban on public office holders from sending their children/wards to study in tertiary institutions abroad.
Second, the union also called on the federal government to compel members of the ruling class and their dependants from seeking medical intervention abroad.
Freelanews gathers that this was contained in a statement issued and signed by the zonal coordinator, Prof Olu Olufayo and the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) ASUU branch chairman, Dr Olayinka Awopetu.
The lecturers said that the two steps if taken would help to rebuild the nation’s educational and health sectors.
Nigerians react to ASUU’s request
The new requests made by ASUU has elicited reactions from Nigerians on social media, particularly Facebook.
Reacting, Jorge Oosher Godween said:
“Very good suggestion. ASUU members should also be banned from sending their children to private or foreign universities.”
Gerald Udoma commented:
“Very good, I think this should be implemented nationwide and any lawmaker that doesn’t support should be recalled.”
Olusesan Adeniji said:
“A commendable gesture but ASUU should also advocate that none of her members should also send their children to private Universities.”
Benedict Asu Akan said:
“This has always been my view. If education in Nigeria must work, this must be the position of things. Even in Nigeria, they must study in public schools and not private ones. let them see what other people children are seeing from their parents decisions.”
Meanwhile, ASUU has dismissed reports claiming that it has announced the suspension of its eight-month-old strike.
The president of ASUU, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, on Saturday, November 21, distanced the union from the said announcement.
Ogunyemi said the union would address a press conference when it intends to call off the strike. He said:
“ASUU does not have a Twitter account. Many people have been bombarding me with telephone calls and I can’t answer again. If we want to call off our strike, we will address a press conference and that is how we operate.”
Ajanaku Olabode said:
“This is approaching to revolution!! We are getting there gradually, now that ASUU had discovered a development to higher institution in Nigerian, this country will still great one day.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
