ASUU gives update on reopening of Universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said universities in the country will not reopen until the Federal Government honours the agreement it struck with the union.

ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, stated this while speaking at a town hall meeting at the African Hall, the University of Ilorin.

Ogunyemi insisted that the agreement must be honoured, before the federal government makes any announcement on reopening of universities.

He made it clear that ASUU would unfold its next agenda, if the government refuses to negotiate the 2009 agreement signed by both parties.

“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.

According to him, ASUU went on strike since March, because of the government’s insensitivity to university education in the country.

Ogunyemi said some of the union’s demands included funding of university education, which the government had reneged on in the last 10 years.

“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,” he said.