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 News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) 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.
NAN reports that the union has started mobilising its members across the country to embark on industrial action over what it called government’s failure to fulfil the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached with it since 2009.

NAN also reports 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 the government was 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 the government has failed to fulfil the MoU of 2009.
“It was the same issue that led to the strike in 2018 which was later suspended in February 2019 and as I speak to you, the government has not fulfilled any of the agreements reached.