Ready to Call Off Strike: ASUU Reacts to N10,000 University Support Levy Offered by Parents
- The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is not interested in the N10,000 university support levy offered by the parent-teacher association
- Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU’s national president, said the parents should intervene by joining the body in mounting pressure on the federal government
- Meanwhile, the lecturers' union is reportedly set to announce an indefinite strike as the federal government failed to meet up with its demands
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the proposed payment of N10, 000 per session by each parent to assist the federal government in making more funds available for universities.
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) had on Wednesday, August 24, proposed the levy and sought an audience with the government over the lingering strike by ASUU, The Punch reported.
Source: Getty Images
“We have submitted a letter to the Office of the Education Minister, seeking an audience where we hope to discuss a proposal.
“We are proposing a sum of N10, 000 per parent every session that will be directly paid to the universities. That will be our own contribution apart from other statutory payments in making more funds available to the universities," NAPTAN’s spokesman, Dr Ademola Ekundayo, had said.
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What parents should do instead of proposed levy - ASUU president
Reacting to the proposed levy on Thursday, August 25, ASUU’s national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said the parents should intervene by joining the body in mounting pressure on the apex government.
Osodeke made the call while speaking during an interview on Arise Television.
His words:
“I think what this association should be doing is to tell the government to perform its function. They should put pressure on the government to use Nigerians’ money to fund education as it is done in other countries.
“We can’t be calling ourselves the giant of Africa and we are the worst in education. You see students from Nigeria going to Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, and other small countries to study but nobody from these countries is coming to Nigeria to study.
“So they should add to the pressure coming from ASUU to ensure that the government prioritise education. That is more important than the N10,000”.
ASUU to announce indefinite strike
Meanwhile, ASUU is reportedly set to announce an indefinite strike as the federal government failed to meet up with its demands.
It was learnt that most of the over 123 branches of the union have taken the final decision at their different congresses while others are expected to round off on Wednesday, August 24.
A leader of the union who does not want his name to be mentioned revealed that a proposal of the indefinite strike would be adopted on Sunday, August 28, when ASUU will hold its national executive council (NEC) meeting.
Source: Legit.ng
