Strike: Meet ASUU Demands Now – ERC LASU Urges FG

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) Lagos State University (LASU) branch has urged the Federal Government to meet the demand of Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU) which begun nationwide strike Monday, 14th August, 2017.

The ERC also made history as over 100 students of the school were gathered to discuss the incessant strike chart a way forward for Nigeria masses.

At the meeting, it was agreed that the government is to be blame for the incessant strike.

It was also agreed that they need to resume back to classroom but they also agreed that it will be self deceiving to go back to the old classroom without a hope for change in the dilapidated conditions of living and learning are subjected to in various varsities.

The communique read:

“We agreed as students to endure the pain, while the struggle last. We understand many of us wishes to graduate on time. However, that itself should not blind us from understanding that the ASUU strike is a struggle to save the university education system from collapse just like the way primary and secondary education system had collapsed.

The ASUU demands for N1.3 trillion was an agreement reached by government after conducting a research into the needs of public university education system. There they concluded to pay a sum of N1.3 trillion for a period of 6 years with an installation amount of N200 to N220 billion every year into the need assessment fund account for university administrators to access in other to embark on developmental project in school.

“Unfortunately, Federal government only paid the first installation of N200 billion in 2013 and up till now the federal government has not paid further installation, which made the government to be owing public universities system up-to a tune of N880 billion for the revitalization of our public university system. These are part of the reason why ASUU went on strike.

“We also agreed that, yes! We have experienced several ASUU strike in the past and some students have been affected by it but we also agreed that, if not for all of these strikes probably our universities system would have been worse than what we have today. That ASUU embark on strike in the past was what made federal government to still fund public university the way they do now.

“Therefore, the things that can guarantee more funding into university education by government are continuous struggle, agitations including strikes actions by ASUU, students, parents, workers and civil society that can force govt. to fund university education appropriately.

“It’s was the struggle of ASUU that won the 2% of business profit in Nigeria for Tertiary Institutions Education Trust Fund (TETFUND). Therefore, if we struggle well, we can record more victory to our side and save public university education from collapse. The struggle is our own, student should not allow the strike to drag for long by just sitting back home. It’s high time we take the gun let of struggle to begin to call on the federal government to meet the demands of ASUU as soon as possible so we can resume on time.

“At the end of the meeting, we agreed to embark on an action to sensitize other students on the strike and call on the federal government to meet ASUU demands. We are convinced that Nigeria has enough wealth to fund its education, Jonathan budgeted about 11% for education, Buhari that promised change budgeted just 6% for education in his budget for growth and recovery far below the 26% UNESCO recommendation.

“The Buhari’s govt. that promised us change, is strike the change it promised us? Federal government often has enough money to buy exotic cars up-to a tune of #6.1billon and paid the bills of Mr President from public wealth, these same government should find money to revitalize our public university education. These and many more are the voice of Nigerian students gathered at the meeting.

“While we are also struggling for better funding of education, there is also need to call on government to provide adequate employment for Nigerian graduate. The Npower employment schemes only pays N30,000 for degree holders. A money that cannot guarantee future for the beneficiary of such employment.

“Therefore, Nigerian students should rise up and call on federal government to meet ASUU demands as soon as possible, so could resume back to campus.