The nation’s body of university lecturers
and academic staff is in their second day of
the national strike over the inability of the
Federal Government to meet their
demands. Reports show that the strike by
ASUU has affected academic work in
several universities in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayatu
Rufai, has said an offer has been made to
the union and that the government was
awaiting its response. The minister, who
spoke yesterday in Abuja at the Annual
General Meeting of the West and Central
African Research Education Network, stated
that the government was constantly in
touch with ASUU and assured that the
cordial relationship would continue. “In
fact, you know they are our colleagues, we
discussed with them, we had a meeting, we
made an offer as government and we are
expecting to hear from them.”
Speaking to journalists earlier at the event,
Executive Secretary of the National
Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie,
who also confirmed the offer made to ASUU,
however, claimed that the government was
not aware that the union has gone on
strike. “I don’t want to hear in the public
place that we are on strike, we have no
official report from them; they should write
to us. We have been meeting regularly,
even on Sunday about three weeks ago,
there was an offer made by government to
them.
They said they are going to their National
Executive Council Meeting (NEC); all we
expect from them is to come back to us and
tell us what their NEC said. As far as I am
concerned, I don’t know if they are on
strike.” Okojie stated. At the University of
Ibadan (UI), students who reported for
early morning lectures went back
disappointed as lecturers shunned classes.
Students were seen playing soccer and
basket ball within the campus while final
year students lamented their fate and the
effect of the strike on them.
Meanwhile the student body which is most
affected are pleading with both parties not
to elongate their stay in school but rather
find a way to agree so they can go back to
their studies.
At the University of Lagos (UNILAG)
yesterday, students gathered to lament
the sudden turn of event. One of them, who
identified himself as Obishakin Anu, pleaded
with the government to stop playing
politics with education, warning that the
consequences of their neglect of the sector
will greatly endanger the future of the
country.

Our leaders' are just like Job's comforters,giving us all a Judas kiss. They are all wicked people in High places