The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Chris Piwuna, on Wednesday accused the Federal Government of failing to implement agreements reached with the union.
Piwuna made the allegation in an interview with Trust TV monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said despite several rounds of dialogue with government officials, none of the agreements on funding, conditions of service, academic freedom, university autonomy and review of relevant laws had been implemented.
“We have always made ourselves available to government. Anytime they call us, we come from Calabar, Port Harcourt, Jos and other places to meet in Abuja. Dialogue has always been our first option.
“But there’s no part of the agreement that has been enforced. What is left is for the government team to take action,” he said.
The ASUU president explained that while the union and the government’s negotiation team had reached consensus on all issues, implementation had stalled because of delays from the supervising ministries.
Piwuna, who is also a medical doctor, attributed the mass exodus of lecturers and medical professionals to poor salaries and working conditions.
“In the Jos University Teaching Hospital where I work, at least 20 consultants have left in the last two years. Hardly three months pass without my signing a reference letter for a doctor relocating abroad.
“It is the same for lecturers. In Uganda today, you will not find fewer than 20 Nigerian lecturers, sometimes in one university,” he said.
He lamented the poor state of facilities in Nigerian universities, noting that out of 333 universities in the country, fewer than five are ranked among the top 1,000 in Africa.
“Lecturers are not happy with strikes. Our students are our children, our wives and relatives are in the system, and we are all affected. But unless government addresses these issues, instability in the university system will continue,” he warned.
Piwuna urged the media, traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and civil society groups to support ASUU’s call for reforms in the education sector.
“This is not about ASUU. It is about the future of our country,” he added.
