NGO Urges FG to Implement All Agreements with ASUU

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Worried by the incessant strike actions of  the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and its attendant consequence on the academic calendars,  Actionaid Nigeria, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) has called on the federal government (FG) to promptly implement all contents of the FG/ASUU agreement.

Just as it has urged the FG to declare a state of emergency on education to rebuild it and ensure that the children of the poor get quality education.

This was contained in communique issued by the Actionaid Nigeria Board of Trust meeting and signed by its Country Director, Ene Obi, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday.

The ASUU had on Monday 14 February , 2022  embarked on one month warning strike to press home their demands from the  government.

Consequently the FG held a meeting with ASUU but could not reach an agreement on some of issues raised , but agreed to reconvene again to trash out various issues. At the end of the second meeting with FG, the ASUU told the Minister for Education , Mallam Adamu Adamu, that association  would go back to discuss with the various zonal meeting to brief the members of the out come of the FGN/ASUU meeting.

Though, some group have been  pointing accusing fingers to the Minister of Communication and Digital economy , Mallam Isah Pantami for the break in communications between FG/ASUU for out rightly rejection of the  University Transparency and Accountability Solution UTAS as means of payment.

Following the meeting of its National Executive Council NEC held in Abuja on Sunday 13 March 2022, the ASUU declared fresh eight  weeks strike starting from 14th of March , 2022 to continue to press home their demand leaving the fate of several student  to hang in the balance as many have missed batch A NYSC orientations in both February and March respectfully.

Parents and guardians have continuously appealed to both FG and

ASUU to sheath their swords and allow peace to reign so that  the critical issues are amicably resolved to enable students return to return to their campuses and commence academic activities.

On the insecurity in the country, the NGO explained that there is an urgent need to amend the constitution to allow for states to set up their various police outfits by taking the police off the exclusive legislative list and including same in the concurrent list.

“ActionAid Nigeria Board of Trustees reiterates that cracking the nation’s current security challenges also requires increasing the manpower and welfare of all security agencies and equipping them with modern combat equipment, skills, and training,” the NGO said.