We Have Not Suspended ASUU Strike — Prof. Awuzie

National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie has denied rumour that the union has called off the strike it embarked upon since last year.

On Tuesday last week, there was rumour that ASUU dialogued with representatives of the Federal Government and that the union has called off its strike, but Prof. Awuzie has claimed otherwise.

In a telephone chat with Campus Square, the academic reiterated that there is no iota of truth in the rumour, adding that until there is a reasonable conclusive agreement with the government, there is no going back on the strike.

“I don’t know where that came (the rumour) from. Until you hear officially from us, the strike continues,” Awuzie reiterated.

Meanwhile, affected university students in the country have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to settle his differences with ASUU.

The aggrieved university students argued that if President Jonathan could be so eager to settle with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the nationwide strike, they see no reason why the government should not do same with ASUU if it really takes the education sector serious.

The students who spoke with Campus Square opined that after the NLC strike has been called off, they expect Jonathan to take necessary steps on the ASUU strike as well so that academic activities can begin without further delay.

“That is the only way he (Jonathan) can at least re-ignite the confidence we have in him because he has betrayed us in the past. I urge him and other authorities concerned to dialogue and ensure we resume as soon as possible,” said Yinka Ogunlola, a student of the Lagos State University.

Another student popularly known as Dings at the University of Lagos, Akoka, said that “I don’t know why the government seems not to be concerned about the country’s education system, and that is quite disheartening.”

An Islamic scholar, Imam Mohammed Moshood, who expressed concern about the decline in the education sector, admonished the government to pay more attention to education because it is definitely going to be the future of the country.

He said: “Our leaders are where they are today because they are educated, so I expect them to sow a good seed in the education sector in order to save the future of this country. I can’t imagine what a Nigerian generation full of uneducated people would look like. I will implore the government to meet the demands of ASUU on time.”