Respected lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to respond to the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ request.
Falana in a signed statement charged the president to submit the supplementary budget for the appropriation of the sum of N200 billion required to revamp federal universities across the country.
The human rights activist said this will go a long way in ending the months-long strike of ASUU that has paralysed public universities since February.
Mr Falana said President Buhari’s recent outcry over the prolonged strike was unnecessary.
He also faulted the Federal Government’s claim that it does not have the funds to meet ASUU’s demands, noting that the government has allocated trillions to address issues such as fuel subsidy and agriculture policy.
The statement partly reads, “Four months ago, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced the current strike to compel the Federal Government to comply with the FG/ASSU Agreement on funding of all federal universities in Nigeria.
“According to the binding Agreement, the total fund which the Federal Government ought to have provided to revamp the universities is N200 billion in line with its obligation under the Agreement. Before then, the warning strikes embarked upon by ASUU were ignored by the Federal Government.
“Thus, the ongoing industrial action which has paralysed the federal universities has lingered on due to the refusal of the Federal Government to meet its commitment under the FG/ASUU Agreement. However, in justifying the unwarranted breach of the Agreement the Federal Government has complained of a lack of funds.
“Instead of addressing the outstanding grey areas in the prolonged negotiations, President Muhammadu Buhari who is the Visitor to all federal universities in the country has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to consider the long-term effect of the strike on students and the generational consequences on families, the educational system and the future development of the country.
“While lamenting that the strike was already taking a toll on the psychology of parents, students and other stakeholders, throwing up many moral issues that already beg for attention the President said that “We hope that ASUU will sympathise with the people on the prolonged strike. Truly, enough is enough for keeping students at home. Don’t hurt the next generation for goodness sake.”
