Abayomi Fasina, the vice-chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has urged the federal government to dialogue with members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to NAN, Fasina spoke on Wednesday in Oye-Ekiti at the third matriculation ceremony of the varsity’s school of postgraduate studies.
ASUU had threatened a strike if all pending issues, including those of unpaid academically earned allowances and the revitalisation fund for universities, were not addressed.
The VC said the strike was not the best for Nigerian universities, adding that many foreign institutions are experiencing free and smooth learning without any distractions.
Fasina also said he believes both the government and ASUU would settle their differences and find a solution to avert the strike.
“The best thing that can happen to this country’s education sector, especially tertiary institutions, is for both parties to ensure that the strike is averted in the interest of the students and education as a whole,” the VC said.
On November 15, ASUU gave the federal government a three-week ultimatum to implement the agreement it reached with the union.
“It is painful that our union may soon have no other way of securing the implementation of FGN-ASUU collectively bargained agreements and redressing the criminal neglect of welfare issues of our members,” it had said.
“Governments should be held responsible should ASUU be forced to activate the strike it patriotically suspended.”
The union had embarked on a nearly nine-month strike in 2020 over the unmet demands by government.
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