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ASUU accuses Federal Government of neglect and poor engagement.
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Union president says both lecturers and students suffer from same failures.
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Two-day warning strike continues despite FG’s claim of meeting all demands.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that its members are victims of the Federal Government’s negligence, just as Nigerian students are victims of the ongoing crisis in the education sector.
The union’s National President, Prof Chris Piwuna, made this known on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, following the commencement of ASUU’s two-day warning strike.
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“Both Nigerian students and the lecturers are victims of government inaction and several other things,” Piwuna said. “So, we see ourselves as victims of this government the way students see themselves as victims of what is going on.”
His remarks came barely 24 hours after ASUU members across public universities downed tools to press home long-standing demands, including improved funding, earned allowances, and implementation of previous agreements.
Responding to comments made by Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, who claimed the government had met all of ASUU’s demands, Piwuna declined to engage in a public argument but maintained that the facts contradicted the government’s position.
READ ALSO: ASUU Dares FG: ‘No Pay, No Work’ As Lecturers Brace For Showdown
“It is not my plan to respond to what the Minister of Education said that the Federal Government has met all our plans. He’s a minister appointed by President Bola Tinubu. He’s our boss, but we need to work hand-in-hand,” Piwuna stated.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has continued to appeal for an end to the strike, insisting that all financial and infrastructural issues raised by ASUU have been addressed.
ASUU, however, insists that government actions have not matched its promises, stressing that the strike was a last resort after several unfulfilled commitments.
