The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos chapter, Dele Ashiru, says that the indefinite strike by the union is a response to the Federal Government declared war on ASUU and lecturers in public universities.    

Ashiru who featured as a guest on Wednesday morning, Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily accused the government of weaponizing hunger to deter ASUU from insisting on its demarks.

“Government declared war on our union, we are only responding. Six months or seven months down the line, our members are suffering the consequences of a strike caused by the government. If you deploy the weapon of hunger upon people that is a war,” he said.

The Federal Government had on Tuesday summoned a meeting with Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors for September 6, 2022, at the National Universities Commission in Abuja over ASUU’s over six-month strike which started on February 14, 2022.

But the chairman of the union in UNILAG said the proposed meeting is “part of government’s diversionary tactics” and “another jamboree to waste government’s money”.

“The Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors are not in dispute with the government. So, whatever that meeting is going to achieve is yet to be seen.
What government ought to concentrate on doing is to negotiate with our union,” Ashiru said.

He debunked the claims that 80% of the demands of ASUU have been met, adding that “not one item” has been met, including the ones that requires money.

“For example, we desire that a government White Paper on Visitation Panel be released. Up till now, more than two years, (Minister of Education), Adamu Adamu cannot release White Paper.”

On the way forward, Ashiru said, “Government has not demonstrated enough good fate to enable our union to reciprocate and there is also the principle of reciprocity.

“What we think the government should do is to take immediate steps to resolve this crisis, not setting up committees.