The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chairman at the University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Akinwole has narrated the educational union’s ordeal with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The professor revealed the realities through a statement days after the union declared an indefinite strike in the country after all the meetings with the government proved abortive.
According to Akinwole, ASUU has lost many of its members to death due to the heavy stress they undergo because of the government’s inability to employ more staff while some have relocated to another part of the world due to their low incomes in search of better opportunities.
He added that the union has lost its trust in the Federal Government as he calls for the immediate renegotiation of agreement.
The full statement reads;
“Due to stress arising from failure of the federal government to recruit more staff, ASUU has lost many of her members to death while others have simply moved out of the country in search of greener pastures.
“The federal government lacks integrity. It is sad. The government cannot be trusted longer. We have been on the same salary for 13 years and it is even shameful to show anyone your payslip.
“When compared to the work we do, we have sacrificed for Nigeria to the detriment of our wellbeing and this is already dampening the morale of our people.
“Federal government should sign the renegotiated agreement, implement it, roll out UTAS, pay unpaid earned academic allowances, and commit more funds into the revitalization of universities.”
“Impress it on the government to sign the new welfare package for our members. If we fail to fight for our rights, the slave merchants in the government will continue to trade with our future and the future of the children of the masses”.
