By Seyi Babalola
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a nationwide protest on Tuesday, which caused academic activities to stop at a number of public universities, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), among others.
The protest, organised in response to unresolved issues with the federal government, saw lecturers and other academic staff go on strike in a coordinated show of solidarity across campuses.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0’); });
ASUU chieftain Kayode Adebayo, who represents the chapter at UNILAG, told Newsmen that the institution completely supports the protest as an ASUU member.
“It’s a normal protest to call the attention of everyone on how, since 2009, the dialogue with the federal government has not yielded any results. We’ve gone on strike since the inception of this administration; hence, this government started using it as a measure of achievement, but the point is that they didn’t do anything to improve the lives of ASUU members,” he said.
Adebayo said the protest is to draw attention to the fact that ASUU has tried its best, but the government is not cooperating.
“We have been silent for too long. In the past three years, ASUU has not gone on strike, despite the government’s failure to address our requests.
“ASUU is tired; things can’t continue to be like this; that’s the meaning of the protest basically,” he said.
The former UNILAG-ASUU chairman said the union wants a review of the 2009 agreement; “there is a document before the government that has been submitted since December last year. It’s there; the government has never issued a single word about that document,” he noted.
Ifeanyi Abada, a chieftain of ASUU at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) revealed that the union members will be starting the rally following today’s chapter congress.
“They will join the protest today, but that will be after the congress. Academic activities would also be suspended as a result of this,” he emphasised.
Senior lecturer Stanley Boroh of the Federal University in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, revealed that the university would participate in the demonstration and completely mobilise its members. Additionally, the institution is suspending all academic operations for today.
“In fact, we are writing examinations, but all papers for today have been cancelled due to the protest and have been moved to September 1.
“We are marching around the school vicinity with placards to express our displeasure over the government’s attitude, and we are also inviting the press people to cover it,” he explained.
In the face of mounting dissatisfaction over what he called years of government inaction and failed promises, ASUU president Christopher Piwuna declared on Saturday, August 23, that the union will launch a nationwide protest.
Piwuna underlined that the purpose of the protest is to bring immediate attention to the ongoing disregard for Nigeria’s public university system, which includes problems like inadequate financing, unpaid salaries, and unfulfilled agreements.
The post ASUU protest strengthens as more varsities join appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.
