The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to adhere to their previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Action (MoA) to end the ongoing warning strike in the interest of students and the education sector in the country.
The House also mandated the Committees on Labour, Employment and Productivity and Tertiary Education and Services to interface with the relevant ministries and stakeholders to address the outstanding issues that led to the current warning strike by members of ASUU.
The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion on: ‘urgent need to address the frequent strike actions by ASUU sponsored by Dozie Nwankwo from Anambra State at plenary.
Moving the motion, Nwankwo said the previous ASUU strike which lasted for nine months had inflicted pains on Nigerian students, parents and the education sector to the extent that it disrupted the academic calendar and impacted negatively on the teaching staff, their families and the depreciating standards of Nigeria’s Public Universities.
“Conscious of the benefits and advantages of the demands of ASUU on the overall interests of Nigeria’s public institutions and the well-being of the personnel which includes funding for the revitalization of public universities and signing and implementation of the renegotiated” 2009 FGN- ASUU Agreement, amongst others.
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“Disturbed that shortly after the last horrendous experience by Nigerians, a one-month warning strike action by members of ASUU has commenced with effect from February 14, 2022, despite all previous efforts to resolve the contending issues, such efforts include that of the Speaker, House of Representatives and other stakeholders which included members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).
“Further disturbed that the consequences of the strike action are embarrassingly becoming too frequent and with consequences too damning to the education sector as one-month strike action is a too much disruption to an academic calendar and too much time for an “idle man” to cause havoc, especially in the present university
environment which is infested with cult activities and other social vices.
“Concerned that in the present circumstances, claims and counterclaims by both ASUU members and Government representatives are not helping the situation because the picture created is not clear and both Nigerians and foreigners are left to interpret it differently, regrettably tilting towards perceived/or deliberate
intention to frustrate the genuine spirit of reconciliation and tertiary education in Nigeria widely seen as education for the ordinary Nigerian,” he stated.
The lawmaker expressed worry that major parts of the grounds of dispute border on issues like the injection of revitalisation funds, payment of earned academic allowance and the likes that are obtainable in other African countries like Ghana and South Africa.
Nwankwo is also worried that Nigeria is losing revenue through Nigerian students who school abroad whereas Nigerian Universities can be raised to the standards of the best Universities in Africa and other parts of the world.
The House, while adopting the motion, mandated the Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
