ASUU strike: ERC supports action; urges ASUP, NANS, other to jointly mobilize for mass protest

The Education Rights Campaign,ERC, says it
supports the ongoing strike by the
Academic Staff Union of Universities ,ASUU,
while calling on the government to meet
the union’s demands.

In a statement on Tuesday by its National
Coordinator, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, ERC
said the main issue for the latest action,
was Federal Government’s continued
refusal to fully implement the 2009 FGN/
ASUU agreement.

“As experience of the last three and half
years have shown, it would take far more
monumental struggle than the one needed
to get the agreement signed to force the
corrupt capitalist government to implement
it,” the statement said.

The body described the action as “a mass
struggle to compel the government to
commit Nigeria’s resources to the funding
of education, provision of adequate
teaching facilities and to meet the needs of
staff in terms of pay and working
conditions.”
“Ultimately, not one of the demands of
ASUU can be satisfactorily implemented
without a turnaround in government’s
lackadaisical, negligent and anti-poor
attitude to education. Needless to say, only
a government that is truly committed to
using Nigeria’s resources to fund education
can fully and satisfactorily guarantee the
pay and working conditions of staff.”

ERC said the demands for improvement in
education funding, democratic
management of schools and provision of
free education at all levels have to be fully
placed on the front burner, not as
secondary issues, but believes that ASUU
would be willing to continue to fight to
achieve all other issues even if the
agreement presently in contention is
implemented.

The body is to begin the
mobilisation of its members,
students, youth and the public for
public mass actions, stating that no
reasonable person can blame University
lecturers for embarking on strike again.
“Since 2009, the Union has embarked on a
series of actions, including dialogues and
occasional strikes, none of which have
succeeded in convincing the government to
meet its demands.

ERC further chided the apathy on the part
of the Association of Nigerian Students
(NANS), describing it as “very unfortunate”.
“This gives the wrong impression that
perhaps students have no grievances or
demands to put on the table. Meanwhile
students bear the brunt of government
anti-poor policies of education
underfunding and commercialisation.

Nearly 10 students have been killed by the
police this year alone during protests on
campuses.”
“We call on NANS to immediately declare
and begin to mobilise for a one-day
nationwide lecture boycott and mass
protest as a way to put forward students’
demands and also to give active solidarity
support to the strike actions of ASUU, ASUP
and SSANIP,” it said.

“The fact that the three unions are on strike
at the same time and arguing the same
issues shows there is basis for unity. The
ERC believes their strikes will be more
powerful and highly effective if linked
together as a jointly coordinated strike
movement to fight for improvement in
public education.”
It noted that ASUU, ASUP and SSANIP are
fighting for the same thing, which is the
welfare of their members and the adequate
funding of education, calling on them
alongside NANS, to link up their struggles
by mobilising for joint rallies, protest and
mass demonstrations.