ASUU To Begin Warning Strike On October 2

The academic staff union of  universities (ASUU) said on Monday that it would commence a warning strike on October 2nd

A statement signed by Mr Ben Ugheoke, the Chairman, University of Abuja chapter of ASUU , stated that the Federal Government had failed to embark on meaningful dialogue with the union . “ We have tried to dialogue with the Federal Government but they have been playing games with us; we will start with a warning strike to show them we are not jokers . “ ASUU has being trying to get the attention of the Federal Government to intervene in the academic system of universities across Nigeria but it has all been abortive. “ Consequently, ASUU will give a warning strike which will start on Oct . 2 nd . “ The strike will last for one week, and if they do not give us listening ears , we will start the indefinite strike in November, ’’ Ugheoke said in the statement . The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) recalls that ASUU , had at a recent news briefing accused the Federal Government of reneging on the 2009 agreement with the union. ASUU ’ s Coordinator, Abuja Zone , Dr Theophilus Lagi , also said in the statement that the government had only implemented 30 per cent of the provisions of Universities Needs Assessment document . He said that the fund was disbursed indiscriminately to university councils as a fall out of the six months industrial action the union embarked upon in 2009 . Lagi urged the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the union in order to avert another industrial action by the nation ’ s public universities. “ The struggle to implement the 2009 ASUU / FGN agreement is not about the union; it is not about the personal benefits of the members only . “ The current issues in contention include funding of universities for revitalisation in line with the Memorandum of Understanding the Federal Government and ASUU had signed in 2013 . “ Re - negotiation of the FGN / ASUU 2009 agreement ASUU believes will reposition the entire education sector . “ We also demand the facilitation of the registration of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), among other issues in the FG/ ASUU 2009 agreement , ’’ he said. Source : NAN