The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it will not give in to National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) planned protest threat by calling off the one-month warning strike it began on February 14 until its demands are met.
While acknowledging that the students have the right to protest what they believe is wrong, the association said the union would not be backing down on the strike as the Federal government has consistently failed to keep the promises made to the union years back.
The association’s President, while speaking on Channels TV said the union no longer wants promises from the government side at this time but action.
“For the past nine years or so, they have been giving us promises but once the strike is over, they relapse. So, our colleagues are tired of these promises which they don’t fulfil. What we want are actions.”
He explained that many schools have not missed any academic year in spite of the strike actions by ASUU, stressing that members of the union have sacrificed for the country’s educational system.
He noted that many lecturers have not gone on leave for years as they try to meet up with the calendar, contrary to insinuations that Nigerian lecturers are being paid for doing nothing.
Osodeke further explained that lecturers are paid for the work done, saying that anybody who says ASUU is paid after the strike, is telling a lie.
He opined that if the Federal Government had followed their own part of the deal, ASUU would not have gone on strike.