The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been cristicised by the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle.
He attributed the ongoing strike to impatience and lack of strategy on the side of ASUU, adding that it was disrespectful to go ahead with the strike, despite pleas from the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) to hold it down for a while so they could seek intervention.
“For me, I am not pleased enough with ASUU because they were impatient. I am the co-chairman and others went to meet with them (ASUU), instead of them to be patient with us to know how to get the government to commit itself, they went ahead with the strike again while our intervention was going on.
“To me, that was not respectful enough; that was the reason we left them, but for how long shall we continue to allow the impasse between ASUU and the government to continue?
“Our children are the ones suffering from this, and the future, because our future is the children God has given to us. How can they be playing with the future of these children like this?” The chairman said while speaking at the first quarter meeting of the council in Abuja on Monday.
Speaking on the government’s claims over the unavailability of funds to meet ASUU’s demands, Rev. said it was impossible to believe, given that they had donated some money to Afghanistan within the same period of the negotiation.
ASUU has since responded through the National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, stating that their decision to embark on the strike despite NIREC’s plea, was because results were not forthcoming.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, through the Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the SGF, Maurice Nnamani, has called on NIREC to continue the good work, adding that it in the best interest of the country to put an end to the constantly lingering strikes.