Ex-envoy Blames Federal Govt For Prolonged ASUU Strike

A former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada and Mexico, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, has berated the federal government for failing to resolve Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

The professor of theatre arts lamented that only an irresponsible government would allow its higher educational system to collapse. Hagher, a former Pro[1]Chancellor of Afe-Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, said a well-equipped higher education is fundamental to national greatness of any country.

He said, “The long strike by the ASUU and federal government’s intransigence seems to vindicate the perception that APC is working in tandem with some extremist’s agenda that ‘Western Education is a sin’.

“Nigerians should see the APC as against progress, since there cannot be any meaningful progress without a well-equipped higher educational system.” ASUU embarked a four[1]week strike on February 14, 2022.

The union rolled it over on March 13 for eight weeks and extended it to three months on May 9th. At the expiration of three months roll-over strike, ASUU, again extended it to four weeks and later converted the warning strike to indefinite on 29th August, 2022.

Among the reasons for the strike is government’s failure to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with the union on December 23rd, 2020, and the non-signing of the 2009 renegotiated FGN/ ASUU agreement submitted nine months ago.

Although the federal government claimed it had met over 80 percent of the union’s demands, ASUU remains adamant, insisting that government has not addressed any of its demands.