ASUU Strike: Lecturers Insists On 15% Allocation For Education Sector To End Strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked for a 15% allocation from the national budget for education to stop continuous strike in the country. 

Prof. Biodun Ogunymei

The union rejected resuming the classrooms anytime soon, saying their leadership needs to properly consult with its branches on the latest federal government’s offer, The Guardian reports. ASUU president, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed on Monday, January 28, that staff members of the union were still consulting on federal government’s promises.

He said: “There are some aspects of our demands that government said it is implementing. Once we get a feedback from our branches, we will know what we have left to tackle. We hope to meet with the government during the week to see how far it has gone.”

When the union president was asked when the strike action would be solved, he said the federal government must be ready and committed to allocate minimum of 15% of the national budget to the education sector. Since 2015, allocations to the education sector were N369 billion (6.10%); N550 billion (7.38%); N606 billion (7.03%) and N620.5 billion, which have been said to be insufficient.

Ogunyemi added: “To start with, not less than 15 per cent of the budget should be allocated to education. If government can faithfully implement this, our universities and public institutions would have quantum of resources.

“The second aspect is political commitment. Government should keep faith with agreements and understanding reached with staff unions. ASUU does not just go on strike. It would process available information and refers government to extant understanding, memoranda and agreements.” 

However, when asked about the plans to probe universities of their expenditures, Ogunyemi commented that the universities could be probed based on the funds released to them.

ASUU has been on strike since November 4, 2018 over alleged non-implementation of agreements it entered into with the federal government in 2009 and 2017. Their demands are on better welfare package and improved teaching and learning environment, among other issues. Legit.ng earlier reported that the union refuted claims that it received N163 billion from the federal government.

ASUU in denying the allegations, accused the federal government of spreading fake information. The union also urged university vice chancellors to set the record straight whenever government comes out with “deliberate falsehood that money has been released to ASUU”.

Source: Legit.ng