The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) , the world’s leading education civil society organization has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to avert a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The rights group also urged the federal government to sign and implement the union’s 2009 contract.
The group disclosed this in a statement signed and released on Sunday by Deputy National Coordinator Ogunjimi Isaac and National Mobilisation Officer Michael Lenin outlining its position.
The statement partly read, “We hereby call on the Buhari government to avert impending nationwide strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities by meeting and resolving all outstanding disputes with the University lecturers.
“Outstanding areas of disputes include the refusal of the Federal Government to sign and implement the Renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution,funding of State Universities, non-payment of withheld salaries, check-offs and promotion arrears. Blackmail will not work. We hold that ASUU has been patient enough. Meeting the demands is the only way to avert the coming crisis in the University system.
“For us in the ERC, we believe that the funding of public education is the responsibility of the government, because quality education is primarily a social need. It is on this basis that we are in solidarity with ASUUto demand better funding of the public universities, especially payment of the revitalization funds and improvement in the pay and working conditions of lecturers. Without this funding, quality education cannot be guaranteed from the underpaid and over-worked lecturers or from the under-equipped libraries, laboratories, hostels and other facilities on campuses.
“We commend ASUU for its steadfastness over the decades in the struggle to defend university education and particularly for embarking on public activities like rallies, protests, strike bulletins, etc to sensitize Nigerians ahead of the planned strike. We do hope government will take heed of this and strive to meet all outstanding demands.
“However should the strike have to go ahead because of government intransigence, this pre-strike sensitisation activities will help to show to students and Nigerians as a whole that the union is not at fault and that the consequential disruption of academic activities is due to the irresponsibility of the government.”