The lingering industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is becoming worrisome as lecturers are yet to come to terms with the Federal Government.
This ugly situation is further compounded by the eruption of the Covid-19 and with some sectors of the economy are gradually returning to work, university lecturers have given the Federal Government one condition before it considers the returning to work.
The President of the union, Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi in a statement issued on Monday said that universities in the country will not reopen until the Federal Government honours the agreement it struck with the union.
Speaking at a town hall meeting at the African Hall, the University of Ilorin, Prof. Ogunyemi insisted that the agreement must be honoured, before the federal government makes any announcement on reopening of universities.
The President of ASUU also made it clear that if the government refuses to negotiate the 2009 agreement signed by both parties, then the union would unfold its next agenda.
He said; “I think it is better we wait. When we get to that bridge, we will cross it.
“I can’t open our strategy here; whatever you do is about strategy; let the government refuse to negotiate, we will unfold our strategy then,” Ogunyemi said.
He further noted that ASUU went on strike since March, because of the government’s insensitivity to university education in the country.
“There is a deliberate attempt to kill university education in the country. Some universities use stoves in their laboratories instead of burners and buckets to fetch water to perform experiments; it’s as bad as that,” Prof. Ogunyemi said.