ASUU to soon embark on strike, says UNIJOS chairman

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it would soon embark on an indefinite strike to press home their demands — just over one year after it suspended a nine-month-old strike.

According to NAN, Lazarus Maigoro, chairman of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) chapter of the union, spoke on Thursday in Jos.

The union had suspended a nine-month-old industrial action in December 2020 after lamenting the failure of the federal government to address all the issues raised in the 2009 agreement it entered with the union.

Maigoro, who described the federal government as an “unfaithful spouse”, said the union would not relent until the standard of education is uplifted in the country.

“The government’s pattern of response to issues is that of a serial promise-breaker. Like an unfaithful spouse, they are unable to match their words with action which is affecting the education sector negatively,” he said.

“We are tired of their deceit and it is time for us to take action and so we want to inform Nigerians that we are tired of fruitless meetings with the minister of labour, executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, the chief of staff to the president, among others.

“If they ever want us to listen to them, they should first of all act on the promises they have already made.”

The chairman wondered why the government had continued to defend the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), a system he said has been thrashed by the office of the auditor-general of the federation.

Maigoro maintained that the demands of the union are not personal, but a conscious effort aimed at uplifting the standard of university education in the country.

He added that over the years, the union had engaged the government over all the issues and it promised immediate implementation, but nothing has been done to date.

“In the light of this, we want Nigerians to know that we are no longer interested in the promises of an unfaithful philandering spouse,” he added.

“In the meantime, we are resolved to proceed on an indefinite and comprehensive strike until fidelity returns to our relationship with the government and our demands are met; We are tired of going the back and forth.

“This Brownian motion must stop! We are determined to end the dubious pronouncements by a government claiming commitment to sound university education and fidelity to the collective agreement.

“Trust has been destroyed by the government. It is up to them to retrieve it to avert any strike. On our part, we are ready for any action and our readiness is now.”