• Descends on FG over Boko Haram
ASUU President, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie
THE National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will, tomorrow, decide whether or not to suspend its almost three months old nationwide strike which has crippled academic activities in all the universities in the country.
The NEC meeting, scheduled to be held in Abuja today, was coming against the background of congresses earlier held at all the branches on Monday, to deliberate and decide on the offer of the Federal Government’to the union, after a meeting last week.
Nigerian Tribune further learnt that chairmen of all the branches nationwide were allegedly directed by NEC to call congress and take a decision at the branch level, before a collective decision would be taken at the national level.
A top official of the union, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity in Minna, Niger State, on Monday, said “all the branches are to have input in the decision to be taken during our NEC which starts Tuesday night in Abuja. This is in keeping with the ASUU culture of giving all members a say in decision making.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Monday, came under attack by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the spate of bomb blasts and killing of innocent citizens by the Boko Haram sect, blaming the situation on the failure of government to address major socio-economic problems of the nation.
ASUU national president, Professor Ukachu-kwu Awuzie, reacting to the growing threat to national security by the activities of the Islamic dissidents, said government had failed to tackle the root cause of the security challenges.
Awuzie, in a statement in Abuja, said the violence by the sect was first and foremost a result of the failure of government over the years to provide quality education, health and general social welfare for the citizenry.
He said the sack of the former Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim and the proposed shake-up in the nation’s security agencies would not remedy the current security challenges facing the country.
Awuzie, who expressed concern about the gruesome killing of innocent Nigerians, said the politics of the ruling class aggravated the situation and had remained a major threat to national stability.
ASUU president further said Nigerians were peace loving people who were interested in the unity of the country, adding that government’s efforts to resolve the problems would be fruitless without attention to the provision of jobs, education, health and transportation.
The national president of ASUU was silent on the ongoing nationwide strike expected to be called off after the union presumably concluded talks with the government.