The Academic Staff Union of Universities has
condemned the attitude of the Federal
Government towards the recently signed Memorandum of
Understanding on the NEEDS projects in the universities.
The union expressed concern over what it called
foot-dragging in the implementation of the agreement reached with it.
It also criticised the sacking of over 90
employees of the Cocoa Research Institute
in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. It called on the Federal Government and the
masses to rise against the intimidation of the oppressed in the institution.
The National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr. Ademola
Aremu, and Chairman of University of Ibadan
Chapter of the union, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, said these during a media briefing
at the Postgraduate School of the university on Saturday.
Aremu said the attitude of the Federal Government
towards implementing its part of the MoU was becoming disturbing to the union.
He said allocation of the funds claimed to have
been deposited at the Central Bank of
Nigeria for execution of the NEEDS project of the nation’s
universities had yet to commence two months after the union called off the
strike.
According to him, the Federal Government ought to
have commenced the process of depositing an additional N55bn for the first quarter as agreed in the MoU
with President Goodluck Jonathan.
On his part, Ajiboye said students were yet
to benefit anything from the industrial
action, owing to the delayed implementation of the agreement with
the government.
Ajiboye, who commended the press for its
role during the five-month old strike, urged journalists to beam their
searchlight on universities to ask questions about execution of projects.
He asked the Federal Government not to further
delay implementation as such might breed another acrimony within the university
system.
Ajiboye while condemning the sacking of over 90
workers at the CRIN, Ibadan urged all well meaning Nigerians to rise
against injustice being done to the oppressed.
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