The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos, said the unionmay consider going on strike if the government does not respond to itsdemands after all the nationwide protests.
For some weeks now, ASUU chapters have been engaging in nationwideprotests.
They also wrote open letters to the Federal Government to request that theagreements the government had with the union be implemented.
Members of ASUU-UNILAG and students on Thursday protested the nineunresolved demands of the union by the Federal Government.
The students, who came out to support their lecturers, displayed placards withinscriptions including “Education is life; proper funding of university education isnon-negotiable;” “Lecturers too want an earthly reward for teaching allprofessionals;” and “Stop establishing universities you cannot fund” amongothers.
They marched from Julius Berger Hall on the campus to the university gate andback to the ASUU-UNILAG secretariat.
Speaking during the protest, the chairman, of ASUU-UNILAG, Prof. KayodeAdebayo,maintained that the purpose of the nationwide protests was to informthe public about the insensitivity and silence of the government on the union’sdemands.
“We are sensitising the public to prevail on the government so that we don’t goon strike. If nothing significant comes out after all these protests, we will decideto go on strike at our next NEC meeting.
“They should not force our union to take that route. We have wicked politicianswho want to force ASUU to go on strike. We love our classrooms. We love ourstudents, it is the Nigerian government that is striking against you, not ASUU,”he said.
Also speaking, a former chairman, ASUU-UNILAG, Dr Dele Ashiru, said lecturersin Nigeria are the least paid, adding that there was a plan to hand over Nigerianpublic universities to foreign investors.
“We are gathered here to call on the Federal Government to rethink itsinsensitivity,lacklustre and bankrupt policies in Nigeria’s education system.Nonation can rise above its level of education system.
“Successive governments in Nigeria have continued to pay lip service to thedevelopment of education. For the past 15 years, the agreement we signed withthe government which is supposed to be renewed every year, has never beenvisited.
“We have been receiving the same salary since 2009. Despite several appealsand consultations to get the government to renegotiate, the government turneddeaf ears,” he said.
The protesting lecturers and students sang solidarity songs as they distributedhandbills listing their nine demands, which included the conclusion of therenegotiation of the FGN/ASUU agreement; Agreement based on Nimi BriggsCommittee’s draft Agreement of 2021; release of withheld three-and-halfmonths salaries on account of the 2022 strike action; release of unpaid salariesof staff on sabbatical, part-time, and adjunct appointments owing to theapplication of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System; releaseof outstanding third-party.
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