Chat212 - Newsmail Report...
- ASUU - Nigerian Academics vow to continue strike if FG can't Make Evidence Of Claimed Payment Public of the 200 billion Naira it claims to have paid into a Central Bank Account, as agreed with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The call came a day after a government spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said that the Federal Government had deposited the money as agreed with the union into a CBN Account.
But a public affairs analyst, Mr. Victor Odunaiya, described the statement as a strategy by the government to find justification for its actions, insisting that an evidence is needed.
“The government has not complied with the agreement and it is insincerity on their part,” he told Channels Television on Wednesday’s edition of Sunrise Daily.
Mr. Odunaiya, who is also a lawyer, urged the government to justify its claims by sending a copy of the evidence of payment to the leadership of the union.
“The government says it has made payment but ASUU is not notified. If they were notified then they would not be justified for continuing the strike.
‘Political Language’
“What is wrong with Okupe bringing a copy of the payment and handing it over to the union or what is wrong with the CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi , calling the leadership of the union to confirm payment?” he questioned.
The lawyer described as ‘political language’ Okupe’s statement that the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the union was enough for ASUU to have called off the strike, as it showed the government’s commitment to resolving the issue.
He pointed out that since 2009, the Federal Government had not deemed it feat to meet their obligations towards the union.
“How do you expect them to accept oral speech or comments?” he also questioned.
He supported the view that an agreement should be enforceable among the parties that reached the agreement and must carry in it clauses that would ensure its enforcement.
Mr. Odunaiya called on both the government and the union to reconsider their positions as the parents and students were bearing the burden of the effect of the combat.
