ASUU threatens strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday in Kaduna accused the Federal Government and the National Assembly of reneging on the agreement it entered with the union two years ago.

The group said the inability of the government to fulfil its side of the agreement would spell doom for the nation's universities and added that Nigerians should hold the government responsible for whatever happened.

Already, the university lecturers had directed all executives of the union in the various universities to call for congress in respect of the proposed strike. They added that the peace on campuses for the past two years would be truncated if the current National Assembly failed to enact relevant laws required for the smooth running of the university system in the country in line with the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement.

Addressing journalists at the end of the its National Executive Council meeting at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, the ASUU President, Ukachukwu Awuzie noted that members had waited in vain for over two years for the government to fulfill its own part of the agreement without success.

Mr Anwuzie said the major cause of crisis in the nation's universities had always been the failure of government to implement valid agreements that it entered into with the union.

"Government has failed, refused and neglected to enact laws that will give effect to certain major areas of the agreement that need legislation for their implementation and enforcement," he said. "Of particular concern is the 70-years retirement age for lecturers in the professorial cadre. The expectation was that this item in the agreement would be passed into law within a few months of the agreement. After close to two years of waiting in vain and seeing the consequences in the form of continued brain drain in the university system, ASUU members have become restive across the country."