Strike: We are not insensitive to plight of students, parents – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dispelled insinuations that the union is insensitive to the plight of students and parents by constantly embarking on strikes.

Dr Lazarus Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the union, said this in an interview with our reporter on Wednesday in Jos.

Maigoro insisted that the demands of the union before the Federal Government were aimed at improving the standard of universities in the country.

It was reported that the union has started mobilising its members across the country to embark on an industrial action over what it called government’s failure to fulfill the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached with it since 2009.

It was also reported with the news of an impending strike, many parents had decried the incessant industrial action embarked upon by university lecturers and accused ASUU of being insensitive to the dilemma of students and their parents.

But Maigoro explained that a large part of the union’s demands from government were anchored on adequate funding, infrastructure development and the need for improved facilities in the universities with a view to making learning more conducive for students.

“It is true that we are currently mobilising our members across our 13 zones in the country for a nationwide strike and this is because government has failed to fulfill the MoU of 2009.

“It was same issues that led to the strike in 2018 which was later suspended in February 2019 and as I speak to you, government has not fulfilled any of the agreements reached

“Our demands are not personal, but we want adequate funding for universities, more infrastructure development and what have you, so that students can learn under conducive atmosphere.

“So, parents and indeed Nigerians should not see us in bad light, because we are pushing for a cause that will raise the standard of our universities.

“Remember, our children and colleagues are also schooling in this system; we are also affected by the strikes, and so it is not about us, but the future generation,” he said.

Maigoro, however, accused politicians and government officials of being insensitive and treating issues of education with kid gloves, and called on government to act fast in revamping the decaying system.

“We are like any other ordinary Nigerian; we don’t have money to take our children abroad. It is the politicians that send their children overseas to school. And that is why they don’t care about improving the system at home because it doesn’t affect them in anyway.

“So, government must be proactive enough in bringing back the lost glory of education in Nigeria by making the system work through adequate funding and what have you,” he said.