From Paul Orude, Bauchi
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Federal University Gashua (FUGA) branch, on Monday, August 25, staged a peaceful protest within the university premises to draw attention to what they described as the federal government’s neglect of their demands.
The lecturers, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “You just forgot we taught you”, “Pay promotion arrears we earned”, “Our pay no longer takes us home”, and “Empty promises cannot build a university”, marched around the campus to express their grievances.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the Chairperson of ASUU-FUGA, Dr Ali Bulama, said the demonstration was meant to enlighten the community, remind the Federal Government, and alert parents, students, and stakeholders about the urgent need for action on issues affecting public universities.
“The essence of our protest is to tell the government that empty promises cannot build universities. They must honour the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, pay our withheld salaries—not as loans because we never demanded one—revitalise the university system, and respect collective bargaining agreements,” Dr Bulama stated.
He further emphasised that education is a right, not a privilege, and should not be gambled with. According to him, the refusal of the government to address ASUU’s long-standing demands amounts to “playing games with the future of Nigerian students”.
Bulama stressed that ASUU is not an employer in universities but a body fighting for the rights and welfare of its members. “University managements are guarantors of loans, not ASUU. We say no to perpetual debt and misery. What we are asking for are our rights and privileges,” he declared.
The protest ended peacefully, with lecturers vowing to sustain the campaign until the government acts on their demands.
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