Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently face and fix the problem with the Nigerian economy to check growing tensions in the country.
The union noted that part of the problems with the present government is policy inconsistency which has plunged many Nigerians into the dungeon of poverty.
ASUU Chairman at the University of Ibadan, Dr. Deji Omole stated this in a chat with newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Omole noted that the economy is a superstructure that cannot be handled with levity but sound economic team and policy which he said are yet to materialise in the present government.
The don stated that if about 3.5 million people lost jobs in 2016, and the economic conditions have not improved, more dangers are ahead if the president and his economic team do not formulate policies that can attend to the growing unemployment.
According to him, while the statistics of the unemployed are unpalatable, more youths are joining the market of unemployed and wasting away.
He noted that the growing spate of kidnapping, abduction, corruption, armed robbery, cyber-crimes are not unconnected with the poor economic conditions which Nigerians now endure with no clear cut policy from government on how situation will improve.
Speaking on the impending strike at the university, Omole stated that the Buhari-led administration must apologise to all University staff for the financial embarrassment it made them to experience in the Month of February through excessive shortfall in personnel cost sent to universities across Nigeria.
While urging president Buhari to check sinister activities at the Budget office in Abuja, the ASUU boss said the union will resist her members being short-paid while they fully execute their job of teaching and research.
“The union condemns in its entirety the attitude of government with relation to policy somersault and failure to faithfully implement budget of universities. The reckless action of arbitrary deduction from February salary caused many household financial embarrassment. The union demands official apology from government and university of Ibadan management. Nigerians are having distrust in the government.”
Omole said that while ASUU is not aversed to the fight against corruption, the government must not institutionalise corruption by further making life difficult for the masses who are further impoverished by anti-people and anti-masses policies being forced down the throat of Nigerians.
He hinted that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union will meet within the week to consider the resolutions of the University of Ibadan chapter to proceed on strike owing to unpaid promotion arrears and postgraduate supervision since 2011, and illegal pension deductions by the university of Ibadan management.
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