The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has rejected moves by the Government to increase tuition fees in public universities and establish education banks.
According to reports, this move was made known by the Chairman of Government Renegotiating Team with ASUU, Dr. Wale Babalakin, SAN.
Announcing the Union’s disapproval at a briefing in Kano on Wednesday, Kano Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Mahmud Lawan said:
“The chairman has deliberately disregarded the cardinal principles of collective bargaining, delayed the process, relegated the other members of the Federal Government team to the background”
“He arrogated to himself the power of decision-making in matters that should be collectively debated and agreed upon by the parties to the renegotiation.” he continued.
Mr Lawan reiterated that creating education banks will only enslave students making them indebted for life.
He also noted that education is a fundamental right and that it is unconstitutional to pay tuition in Nigerian Universities.
Lawan also complained about the Federal Government’s insensitivity to the needs of public universities, adding that Government is bent on destroying university education.
He expressed regrets at Government’s decision to allocate less than 10% of budget funding to education, which is way short of the 26% recommended by UNESCO.
Lawan further assured the Labour Union of ASUU’s support in it’s actions to improve the lives of Nigerian workers.
Speaking on the strike actions by Labour, Lawan challenged any one with a more suitable option to step forward.
“To ASUU, strike is always the last option to make government responsive because it appears they don’t understand the language of negotiations,” he declared.
‘’The union finally requests all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians to prevail on the government to return to the negotiating table and conclude the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement to address the outstanding issues in the 2017 MoA in order to avoid industrial disharmony in the Nigerian university system.
“There is need for government to understand that governance is about responsibility, integrity, honor, respect and accountability to the people of Nigeria” he said.
‘’Once you enter into negotiation with trade union, you have to complete it and eventually ensure the full implementation of the agreement reached,” Lawan added.
