Groups protest against FG-ASUU impasse

Some civil society groups and students' organisations, on Tuesday,

staged a protest march against the prolonged impasse between the

Federal Government and the striking members of the Academic Staff

Union of Universities.

The placard-carrying protesters said the Federal Government-ASUU

disagreement had paralysed academic work in the universities.

The angry groups includethe Concerned Nigerian Students; Coalition of

EdoYouths Organisation; EdoYouth Congress; Edo State Students; Comrade

Across the Nation; South-South Youth League; and Edo Youth for Good

Government.

They converged on the Nigeria Union of Journalists' Press Centre, in

Benin, berating the Federal Government over what they described as

government's unwillingness to address the rot in the nation's

universities.

The protesters, who brandished placards with inscriptions such as,

"Weare Nigerian Undergraduates Unemployed," "Education is a Right,"

and "Federal Government Answer ASUU," among others, said the break

down in the FG/ASUU talk should be blamed on the former.

Former ASUU chairman, University of Benin chapter, Dr. Kashetu

Ilavbare, said the presence of some of the ASUU members in the midst

of the protesters was to guide them, so that they would not take the

laws into their hands.

He said, "We don't have anything to do with them; but we got

information that they were on the road, so we came to guide them so

that they will not destroy anything and to make it peaceful. You can

see they are rational people.

"There is need for infrastructure both in theschools and outside, so

that is why we are trying to ensure they don't go on the rampage."

The protesters in a statement read by one Omobude Agho, called on

patriotic Nigerians to support the action and toenlighten parents and

others on why they were agitating.

The statement read in part, "Investigations have shown that the issues

at stake are far and above the demand for higher wages. ASUU has

resumed its strike because the Federal Government of Nigeria has

failed to honour the agreement that it enteredinto with ASUU in 2009.

"This agreement provided for governmentfunding of quality higher

education for Nigerians. Provision of teaching andlearning facilities,

lab equipment for science students and research grants, payment of

earned allowances, retirement age and progressive increase in annual

budgetary allocation to the educational sector of 26 per cent, which

is the UN standard.

"ASUU has used all alternatives possible in labour relations:

lobbying, negotiations, letters, warning strikes, begging, press

releases and conferences. However, government has refused to honour

the agreement that it willingly signed with ASUU."



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