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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday, gave fresh conditions that would make it go back to negotiate with the Federal Government.

Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan after a meeting with members of ASUU,its President, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, stated that the striking university lecturers would rather die than beg the Federal Government to accede to its demands for better welfare package and improvement in the funding of the nation’s universities.

His words: “It is better to die fighting on our two feet instead of crawling on our knees. It is true this government has instrument of coercion but we know that truth will always prevail. Our current, agitation is beyond upward review of salaries. What we are saying is that the standard of education in our universities should be improved to the extent that our students graduating from the universities are exposed to the most current and better infrastructural materials, which will make them best of its kind in the world.

“Nigeria has the resources to improve our universities. What we lack is the political will. The current struggle is not ASUU struggle alone but the battle for all of us, Nigerians, to have the best of education for our children. We will succeed in this struggle if the people give us their supports,” wuzie stated.
According to him, “there is no way a country can develop without good education. Boko Haram crisis was as a result of lack of education. For we, at ASUU, what we are saying is that Nigeria should be able to create an environment where every child will have access to the best of education at university level, no matter the status or financial standing of his parents.”

He debunked insinuations that the union pulled out of the negotiation with the Federal Government team, saying it was the Federal Government team that actually pulled out.
His words: “By July 10, 2009, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode wrote a letter to ASUU saying that after reaching the agreement, he had finished his own assignment and that what was left now was for the individual university governing council to negotiate with its staff union. For him to come again to negotiate with us, he must get the mandate from his principal, saying that they are now ready to abide by the principle of collective bargaining and that he will sign an agreement at the end of it.

“In order not to waste our time because we went to meet the vice-president who said the government team must be present when negotiating all contentious issues for negotiation, we expect that they must produce the contentious issues so that we know what we are going to negotiate on when we get there.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has alleged that government forces are bent on frustrating the signing of the contentious agreement. The union maintained that these forces have unrepentantly shifted grounds to abort the negotiation process, and should be held responsible for prolonging the crisis.
ASUU President, Prof Ukachukwu Awuzie, disclosed this at a press briefing yesterday at the Nigeria Labour Congress secretariat, Yaba, Lagos.
Awuzie, who stressed that he wanted to present the picture as it is, said: "From the on-going, our view is that there are some forces in the government bent on frustrating the emergence of a centrally signed agreement with ASUU. These forces are aware that no agreement will be signed at individual council levels as the councils do not have the financial means of implementing the funding requirements. General Abacha tried it and failed. It is amazing that a civili


an government is attempting to impose it. In fact, these forces are courting a more serious industrial crisis at the branch levels, apart from the essential disabilities of councils.
"The forces that have been striving so hard to abrogate the negotiation or, if that fails, transfer them to where they will fail-to councils- include the minister of Education, the executive secretary of NUC, the executive secretary of the ETF and some intelligence officers who double as permanent secretaries,"
He described them as 'runaway academics' who have acquired money and want to destabilize the system, "people who enjoyed free education but now want to increase tuition fees."
The ASUU president accused them of destroying education and turning the youths into militants. He further reinstated the position of the union in the negotiation process.
"ASUU's position remains the same, consistent with the principle of collective bargaining. The negotiating teams should discuss all the remaining contentious issues raised by either party, agree upon them, and thereafter sign an agreement. It is open to government and ASUU to agree to review structures and procedures of negotiation at a future date," he affirmed.
Prof. Awuzie also condemned the arbitrariness exhibited by the government in the process. "It became clear that the Federal Government had decided to unilaterally terminate the negotiation that began in 2006 and replace it with arbitrary pronouncements and awards. This is the problem prolonging the current crisis," he stated.
The union warned that the era of autocracy was over, as such unilaterialism adopted by the government is unacceptable in a society that aspires to democracy.
He reiterated the union's resolve to continue the struggle no matter the threats from government.
"By stopping our salary, our spirit cannot be dampened. We can survive without their salary. We went through the military and we survived it"
Also speaking, Professor Lai Olurode, former Dean of Social Sciences, University of Lagos accused the government of trying to keep the students at home till 2011. While calling on the union to be resolute in their struggle, he said: "I hope ASUU is prepared for a long fight, the struggle is just starting"
Some students carried placards with inscription: "Egwu must resign". Govt must fund education," Give education 26 percent.