Education

We will not be distracted by 2019 general election —ASUU

Published

6 years ago

January 3, 2019

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Thursday , declared that it would not be distracted by the 2019 elections in its struggle to revitalise public varsities .The News Agency of Nigeria , reports that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof . Yakub Mahmood , had said that the planned ASUU strike might affect the 2019 general election .

The Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan ( UI ) , Dr Deji Omole , stated this on Thursday in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.

Omole said that the union was ready to pursue the strike to a logical conclusion irrespective of whether there would be election or not .

He added that INEC could recruit ad – hoc staff from eligible Nigerians “ who are in their millions ’’ .
“ We are not part of INEC , therefore , INEC can look elsewhere for ad – hoc staff to conduct the election .

“ What Nigerians are only interested in is a credible election and not participation of lecturers .

“ Even when we were not on strike , not all our members are interested in participating in the elections, because it is a voluntary thing .

“ Whoever that feels like participating in the elections can go ahead to participate .

“ If you check in the letter addressed to individuals that have participated in the election in the past , the letter is addressed to individuals and not to ASUU, ” UI ASUU Chairman said .

He said that the demand of the union that the MoU of 2017 be implemented was sacrosanct .

Omole said that once the union saw the commitment of government, the leadership would bring it back to them at chapters , where it would be taken to their congresses and redirect to national for necessary action .

The UI ASUU chairman urged Nigerians to continue to put pressure on the government to do the needful by investing more in funding education .

He said that private education was not an alternative to public schools and called on all Nigerians to support the strike to salvage the university system in Nigeria .

( NAN )