The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Benin zone has stated that the strike shall go on, unless the Federal Government returns to the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement signed by both of the parties. The statement has been made after finishing the congress at at the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka.
The Union has also condemned the FG of being deaf to the plight of Nigerians by not meeting their demands as contained in the MoU.
The above-mentioned statement has been signed by Emmanuel Mordi - the Chairman of DELSU ASUU, Anthony Moye-Emina - Chairman of UNIBEN ASUU, Beke Sese - Chairman of NDU ASUU, Fred Esumeh - Chairman of AAU ASUU and Sunny Ighalo - Coordinator of ASUU in the zone.
Sunny Ighalo insisted that the union was not on strike to make fresh demands, and neither was it ready to renegotiate the existing agreement.
"We are calling on the government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FGN agreement it willingly signed with the union in 2009," he added.
This is despite the release of N100 billion by the Federal Government to ease the burdens in the universities.
But the Union accused the FG of applying "divide and rule" tactics, by trying to buy in the Committee of Pro-Chancellors and Committee of Vice Chancellors with the latest release of another N30 billion.
According to him, "though N500 billion was expected from the government based on Needs Assessment carried out and contained in the MoU of January 2012 for revitalization of the universities, government claimed it distributed N100 billion most of which were promissory notes.
ASUU zonal coordinator also noted that parents and students alike, need to understand the stance of the lecturers that it is being directed towards helping in the revitalization of the comatose education system in the country which had almost collapsed.
"This struggle, which has now entered its ninth week, is driven by the unshakable resolve of our members to stem the continuing trend with successive governments of Nigeria, to systematically destroy public education through neglect and near total abandonment.
"The strike has indeed moved into a critical stage where government is now applying the instrument of intimidation and blackmail and other gimmicks to undermine the struggle," Ighalo said.
Gabriel Suswam, the Governor of Benue State, commented on strike on September 5, 2013, Thursday. The Governor revealed that his state's university, Benue State University (BSU), has already received about N950 million from the N100 billion earlier released by government when he confirmed that the Federal Government had on Tuesday released another N30 billion for federal universities in the country.
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