Criticises use of teargas on ASUP and COESU members

DESPITE hopes that the National Conference would bring a desired turnaround for the nation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has labelled it as “dubious in intent”.
The union said that the National Conference is “a dialogue on an agenda by a coalition of the government and some sections of the ruling class coalition to achieve an undisclosed agenda.
ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, disclosed this at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Devolution of Power at the ongoing national conference yesterday turned down a request by Labour leaders to migrate labour matters from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.
The chairman of the committee, Obong Victor Attah, made this known yesterday during the adoption of vote and proceedings of the committee.
Wondering why labour unions, while agitating for selfish reasons always use the instrumentality of strike actions to shut down the running of the country, Attah said Labour does not consider the far-reaching and economic implications on the wider segments of the society.
According Fagge: “As a union of intellectuals, ASUU cannot afford to fold its arms and look while our unity as a nation is being threatened, our peaceful co-existence being gradually decimated and our collective security and rights, as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria being violated with impunity.
He said that the National Conference was conceived without a democratic national debate, and affirmation through legitimately procedure in the democratic political institutions of the country.
“Its conception was arbitrary, its executors hand-picked and its execution tele-guided to attain the goals of its originators. The conference that emerged is dominated by representatives of political-military-business wigs of the self-same groups/class that have created and sustained the political and economic crises suffered by our country and its people, with participation of “representative” of dominated groups”, he added.
Speaking on the unprovoked attack on the protesting ASUP and COESU members in Abuja, he criticised the Nigerian police for using teargas and water to disrupt the peaceful protest of the unions.
He said: “ASUU therefore called on the government to urgently address and resolve issues involved in the ASUP and COESU strikes in the interest of the Nigerian people and the development of sustainable education.”
Meanwhile, a delegate from the academia, Prof. Nsongurua Udombana, questioned why ASUU goes on strike shutting down all universities when the disparity between state and federal universities are clear.
He said it was meaningless when state universities had to shut down over wage issues between university teachers employed by the Federal Government, saying: “Does the Federal Government legislate for state universities?”
While addressing the committee last week, President of the NLC, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the decision is against the interest of Nigerian workers. He appealed to the committee to reconsider its decision on the Labour issue and revert it to the exclusive legislative list.