FG deliberately stifling, killing public Universities to promote private ones ― ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has accused the Federal Government of deliberately stifling and killing public Universities in Nigeria, to promote private ones allegedly owned by the political class.

It also alleged the Federal Government has been calculatingly dribbling the union since 2017 in genuinely finding solution to ASUU Federal Government impasse, in order to end the strike for students to go back to school.

It further accused the Federal Government of being only interested in campaigning for the 2023 general election, than the welfare and future of the Nigerian youths.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Chairperson, and the Secretary of ASUU, Chukwiemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, Anambra State, Comrade Okey Aniebo and Comrade David Enibe, respectively, after their meeting in Igbariam, Anambra, East Local Government Area of the state.

According to ASUU, COOU, “It is unfortunate that the Federal Government has been adopting lies, blackmail deceit and delay tactics to continue to renege on the 2009 ASUU FGN Agreement, the Federal Government is calculatingly dribbling ASUU since 2017 in finding solution to ASUU and FGN face off.

“They have been deliberately stifling and killing the public universities in order to promote private universities, mostly owned by the political class, just as it is only being interested in campaign for the 2023 general election than the welfare and future of the Nigeria youths.

“Even the Prof. Ali Munzuali and Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee, set up by the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 FGN ASUU Agreement, was not taken serious by the Federal Government and was frustrated by the same government that set it up.

“Initially ASUU had believed that the government took the step in good faith so as to resolve the contentious issues towards having an end to the strike, but unfortunately the government abandoned the separate Reports of the committee, thereby confirming the fear of ASUU that it is not interested in seeing an end to the strike.

“We,, therefore, regret to inform the general public that the Federal Government of Nigeria is not serious about ending the ongoing strike but has adopted lies, blackmail, deceit and delay tactics to continue reneging on 2009 ASUU FGN Agreement.”