Former Nigeria President Good luck Jonathan don narrate how im goment settle one long strike wey di Academic Staff Union of Universities bin go in one night.
Dis tok dey come as ASUU strike dey enta im seven month.
Oga Jonathan for one conference for Abuja, di kontri capital to mark di 70th birthday of di Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Hassan Kukah tok how im administration try tackle di strike.
He say im gatz sit wit ASUU leadership and members of im cabinet wey get hand for education to reach agreement to suspend di strike.
“So, I call one meeting of all di leadership of ASUU. I show for di meeting wit my vice president. Di Attorney General dey there. I tok say dis night, we must solve di problem. Di Attorney General dey there; di Secretary to di goment of di Federation dey there; di ministers of education, labour ministers, finance ministers and everybody wey get anytin to do wit di strike dey for di meeting.”
“And I reason say because I dey there, e go help us solve di mata quickly. But we spend di whole night. We finish like 5:30 am and dem call off di strike. So, issues dey,” Jonathan tok.
ASUU bin go on strike for at least 13 months during Jonathan administration for 2010, 2011 and 2013 because goment no fulfil di agreement e sign wit di union.
ASUU strike – Wetin be dia demands
ASUU currently dey on strike for nearly seven months and dey demand di implementation of one agreement di federal goment sign wit dem for 2009 plus oda demands.
One of di major issue wey di block negotiation between goment delegates and ASUU na di payment platform.
ASUU dey insist say goment must use to take pay dem salary.
Di president of ASUU Victor Emmanuel Osodeke say di National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA) wey suppose conduct integrity test on di University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) don abandon am even afta dem upgrade di payment platform.
But Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige say ASUU dey try prolong di strike by making negotiation impossible.
E explain give say why dem dey insist on UTAS even wen NITDA say e fail integrity test and pipo fit commit fraud on top di platform wey lead to huge moni.
“I yarn wit ASUU and NITDA to kontinu the test and see weda dem fit address di lapses and arrive for 100% because na wetin NITDA insists on.
“Dem say dem no go accept 99.9% of vulnerability and integrity test and dat dem no fit take dat kain risk sake of say dem fit hack di payment system”
“ASUU for y now don call off strike becos na wetin dey law took” Ngige explain.
Ngige further yarn give say ASUU members shun to attend di meeting wey Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee on Renegotiation of 2009 Agreement put togeda for several time and dat di committee don finish dia work and don sumit dia findings to di ministry of Education.
Oda tins di former president tok
Di former president also call on Nigerians to protect di kontri democracy make e no turn into some form of dictatorship.
According to him, dis no be di time for Nigerians to lower dia guard and allow democracy to crumble. Jonathan maintain say democracy na still di best form of goment wey fit effectively manage di nation diversity.
“Obviously many people, especially our youths, dey become disappointed about our politics and democracy,” Jonathan tok.
“Di task before all of us na make we no lower our guards if not di democracy we cherish today succumbs to threats and reduce into fascism tomorrow because signs dey show say we dey derail into some quasi fascism.”
He add say democracy no be about winning elections.
Timeline of di strike since 2009
2020 ASUU Strike
Di union bin embark on nine-month strike sake of non-payment of allowances to lecturers wey no enrol under di goment payroll system, wey ASUU bin wan replace wit dia own.
2018 ASUU Strike
One three-month strike bin happun sake of poor funding of education and increment of school fees wey goment bin plan.
2017 ASUU Strike
Afta dem sign anoda MoU for September 2017, di union bin suspend dia 36-day strike wey bin happun sake of allegations say goment fail to implement agreement from previous year.
2014 ASUU Strike
One week warning strike bin dey sake of say Nigerian goment no implement di 2009 agreement and one MoU wey dem reach for 2013.
2013 ASUU Strike
University lecturers bin go on strike for about six months as dem demand say make retirement age for professor dey extended to 70 instead of 65, and make goment increase allocation to education from 15% – 20% of di kontri annual budget.
2011 ASUU Strike
2009 agreement wey goment no meet na why di union bin go on a 59-day strike.
2010 ASUU Strike
ASUU bin go on indefinite strike for July 2010 wey last for over five months.
2009 ASUU Strike
Four months strike sake of 2007 agreement wey goment no meet wey involve demand for increase of budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria.
