By 
Abiodun OBA
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said Nigerian universities would not stop witnessing strikes until responsible and responsive people are in government.
The Chairman, ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Ayo Akinwole, who said this in a statement on Sunday, reiterated that only the signing and implementation of a renegotiated 2009 Agreement will end the over five-month-old strike.
Akinwole pointed out that the union maintained that their members had sacrificed so much on their welfare, lamenting that the Federal Government owed their members over nine-year allowances.
He said Nigerians should not see the strike as a problem of ASUU thing but as a fight all Nigerians must own to have a future of quality education for their children.
Akinwole stated that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) government had displayed capacity to abuse trust saying that the Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Action signed with the government were not honoured.
According to him, Nigeria is in the hands of incompetent people due to collective negligence of Nigerians.
He said, “Until we rise above sentiments to get responsible and responsive people – who will be accountable to Nigerians, into public offices, the cycles of strikes will not end in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government led by Buhari is largely uncoordinated, the President gives order and his media aide denies he gives such order.
“Although the Federal Government has stopped the salaries of our members for five months, lecturers are resolved to fight to victory over the parasitic ruling class.
“Nigerians should join the struggle to get money from government to revitalise public universities, to give children of Nigerian masses hope of governing their country. Unless that is done, the children of the ruling class trained in foreign universities will return to take over from their wicked parents and continue to enslave Nigerians.
“The union will actively participate in the two days protest being organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress and other labour unions in the country. It is sad that the President Buhari government which prides itself on fighting corruption will be frustrating the use of homegrown solution for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System that has been discredited by audit report of 2019.”
The ASUU leader stated that members of the Union are also affected by the strike not only in terms of finances but by their education as many of them are doing their doctoral degrees in public universities, adding that many will also be affected as their promotion will also be delayed and “my children are at home with me too.”
“We got here by collective negligence of electing incompetent people into public offices. The fight for quality education for the children of the masses has become a class war among the economic elite, the working class and the ruling class.
“Until we rise and demand accountability from those in office to do what is in the best interest of the majority, the cycle of strikes and underdevelopment will not stop.”
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