The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday stated that it will continue to fight for the interest of her members in Federal and state universities to get better conditions of service and improve access to quality education for the children of masses.
The Union described the statement credited to the pro-chancellor of Osun State University, Mallam Yusuf Alli to the effect that it is wrong for the federal Government to negotiate with ASUU and force implementation on state varsities as an unfortunate view of enemies of public funded university in Nigeria.
ASUU stated that Nigerian academics cannot be asked to earn by their performance when basic infrastructures for teaching and research are not available including funding for research.
The Ibadan Zone of the ASUU in a release joined signed by the Zonal Coordinator Prof Oyebamiji O. Oyegoke, and Prof. Ayoola Akinwole (UI), Prof. Moyosore Ajao (UNILORIN), Prof. Biodun Olaniran – (LAUTECH), Dr. Shehu Salau (KWASU), Dr. Wende Olaosebikan (UNIOSUN) stated that it was also surprised that the UNIOSUN pro-chancellor is unaware that pro-chancellors have always been part of the negotiations.
While addressing press conference, to herald the 6th biennial conference of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities in Nigeria, COPSUN, the UNIOSUN pro-chancellor Mallam Yusuf Alli said “It is quite unfortunate that all the negotiations done so far with ASUU have been within the Federal Government and union. Our organisation has never been involved, and that is part of the problems. How does the Federal Government negotiate with ASUU, only to come and force their agreement on those that are not a party to it?
The Union stated that asking a responsible Union like ASUU to negotiate with Councils who cannot develop basic infrastructures in their respective varsities show a capitalist mindset of people who want the children of the masses to be denied access to quality public education as well as enslave lecturers in such varsities.
As a way of educating the UNIOSUN pro-chancellor, the Union said the former Pro-chancellor of UNILAG, Wale Babalakin was appointed to negotiate with ASUU and brought capitalist ideology to the table on privatising public funded education which ASUU resisted.
ASUU further stated that even the so-called 2022 inaugurated reconstituted committee to negotiate with ASUU by the Federal Government is made up of pro-chancellors from the geopolitical zones of the country.
The Ibadan Zone of ASUU wondered where UNIOSUN pro-chancellor thought the TETFUND projects which have improved its infrastructure would have come from if not from ASUU patriotic struggles.
Professor Oyebamiji led Ibadan Zone of the Union also stated that all state varsities including UNIOSUN benefit from revitalization funds so far released by federal government due to the struggles and inclusive negotiation of ASUU.
“The Pro – chancellor and chairman of council, Osun State University, Mallam Yusuf Alli by his statement that ‘it is wrong for the Federal Government of Nigeria to negotiate with ASUU is a regurgitation of non practicable views of some detractors of public university in Nigeria. Like ASUU has pointed out severally, these are words that do not take the social and economic issues of the Nigerian state into realistic consideration. How can he say councils that cannot develop infrastructure in university except through ASUU agitation for university revitalisation and intervention of TETFUND should be negotiating workers’ salary?”
ASUU says it will continue to resist any attempt to “further pauperise lecturers and subject them to the whims and caprices of chairmen of council who are tools in the hands of Governors.”
“No one can shy away from the fact that some state universities struggle to pay their staff salaries. Imagine if they are left to negotiate it! Osun state university presently state does not have the capacity to negotiate with ASUU and he should desist from suggesting confusing narrative on public university in Nigeria. Emphasis should be on the improved access and quality of university education rather that merely talking about educational policies in developed economies engendered by sustainable investment absent in Nigeria.”
