TheNewsGuru

Tag: Strike

  • Why I called off retaliatory military strike against Iran – Trump

    In an extraordinary series of tweets, President Donald Trump on Friday explained his rationale for calling off a retaliatory military strike against Iran over the downing of a U.S. drone.

    He said the military was “ cocked and loaded to retaliate last night (Thursday) on three different sites” in Iran but he had to pull the brake 10 minutes from time when he was told that as many as 150 lives might be lost in the process.

    He tweeted: “10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone”.

    The late reversal was first reported by the New York Times on Thursday night. The newspaper said the operation was under way “in its early stages” when Trump stood the US military down.

    “I am in no hurry,” Mr Trump said yesterday. “Our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world.

    “….On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not….

    “….proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone. I am in no hurry, our Military is rebuilt, new, and ready to go, by far the best in the world. Sanctions are biting & more added last night. Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!

    He claimed that the sanctions he imposed on Tehran after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement have “weakened” Iran.

    In follow up tweets he said:“President Obama made a desperate and terrible deal with Iran – Gave them 150 Billion Dollars plus I.8 Billion Dollars in CASH! Iran was in big trouble and he bailed them out. Gave them a free path to Nuclear Weapons, and SOON. Instead of saying thank you, Iran yelled…..”

    ….Death to America. I terminated deal, which was not even ratified by Congress, and imposed strong sanctions. They are a much-weakened nation today than at the beginning of my Presidency, when they were causing major problems throughout the Middle East. Now they are Bust!….

    Iran downed a U.S. military drone by fire early Thursday, an attack Trump erroneously said happened “Monday.” Iran claimed the drone was over its territory; the Pentagon says it was flying over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

    “Iranian reports that the aircraft was over Iran are false,” Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said at a press briefing. “This was an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset in international airspace.”

    Last week two oil tankers — the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous and the Norwegian-owned Front Altair — were damaged in attacks off the Iranian coast, attacks that the U.S. has also blamed on Iran.
    The downing of the drone sparked fears of a possible new military conflict in the Middle East, despite Trump’s stated aversion to dragging the United States into another war.

  • Strike: ASUU denies receiving N163b from FG

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denied receiving funding from the federal government over its ongoing nationwide strike.

    The Union’s Ibadan Zonal Coordinator, Ade Adejumo, made this known while reacting to reports credited to Nigeria’s Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, that the government released N163 billion to public universities from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    Ngige has earlier made this known while speaking with newsmen after a closed-door reconciliatory meeting with the leadership of the union on Monday in Abuja.

    “Government has released about N163 billion from TETFund account to universities. So, we have gotten some substantial agreement in most of the areas of the agreement,” he said.

    “Most of the issues are being resolved, so they are going to go back to their members and present government’s offer to their council.”

    But Adejumo called on the government to stop “misinforming” Nigerians.

    He said: “For the umpteenth time, let it be known that our union is a patriotic organisation whose activities are driven by principled conviction that the resources of the country can better be managed for the ultimate benefit of the Nigerian society, especially the education sector which is our immediate constituency.

    “The government and all civilized individuals are aware of how the university is managed, so also the resources available to it. The government knows that it is the council and the university administration that receive and spend all the money coming into the university.

    “ASUU doesn’t receive money from the government and doesn’t spend it. Even money meant for our salaries and other allowances come directly to the university administration which prepares the budget and manages it.

    “ASUU members collect only their salaries as paid by the university. Contracts and all the capital projects are awarded by the councils that are appointed by the government, not ASUU.

    “It is in the context of the above that our union calls on the Vice-Chancellors and council chairmen to stop behaving like vultures that wait silently by the sidelines, waiting for the game to fall only to descend on the carcass.

    “They should join forces with ASUU in its struggles to attract requisite funding into our public universities rather than working at cross purposes with us.

    “Part of the least expected from them is to come out openly to put the record straight each time the government come out with the deliberate falsehood that money has been released to ASUU.

    “They, the council and the vice-chancellors, are the receiving and spending agents. Simple honour demands that they publicity own up to this fact. Their silence in this regard leaves room for unfair speculation about ASUU.”

    The Union commenced the strike on 4 November, 2018, to press home their demands.

    ASUU’s demands include some areas of understanding in the implementation of the Memorandum of Action agreed with the government in 2017.

     

     

  • Strike: ASUU, FG resume talks on Monday

    Barring any last minutes change of plans, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government are to resume talks Monday (tomorrow) on how to resolve the the over two-month-old strike embarked upon by lecturers.

    The National President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, confirmed the development in an interview with The Punch on Friday.

    He, however, said the union was not optimistic about the prospects of an early resolution of the industrial dispute.

    In response to a question on whether there had been any fresh development with regard to the resolution of the dispute, Ogunyemi said, “I’ am afraid nothing new. I understand they will be meeting us on Monday. Let’s wait and see if they take a reasonable step; it will determine our next line of action. Until then, let’s wait and see.”

    Recall that the ASUU president had in an earlier interview said members of the union were tired of government’s failed promises.

    He said, “Last year, they promised to release the funds but they did not until November when the strike began. Our members are saying they do not want promises again; what they want is action, implementation or disbursement of funds.

    “The government must act in a way to convince the union that the agreement has not been set aside. To show that the government has not set aside the agreement, they should release one tranche.”

    He explained that in order to forestall a situation where ASUU and the government would restart negotiations on arrears of earned academic allowances, both sides had agreed that “it would be mainstreamed into the 2019 budget.”

    Ogunyemi also said, “We are going to have a discussion on when to commence renegotiation because there are still grey areas. If the government can substantially address these issues, we will be more confident to face our members on the way forward. For now, the signals we are getting is that our members do not actually want to accept this government proposal from us.”

    Members of ASUU went on strike on November 4, 2018 to demand for improved funding of universities and implementation of previous agreements with the government.

    The union is also seeking the implementation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreements, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU; 2012 and 2013) and Memorandum of Action (MoA, 2017), among others.

    The union is also asking the Federal Government to expedite action on the release of funds to revitalise public universities in accordance with the FGN-ASUU MoU of 2012, 2013 and the MoA of 2017.

    The university teachers are also demanding the release of the operational licence of the Nigerian University Employees Pension Company.

    The Director of Press at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, could not be reached when one of our correspondents tried to get the reaction of the Federal Government on the issue

    But a source in the ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SUNDAY PUNCH that ASUU should be blamed for the delay in reopening the universities.

    The source added that the FG had showed commitment to the ASUU’s demands and that it was better to start from what the FG had offered than to halt negotiation.

    “The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had told the leadership of ASUU that the FG would accept many of their demands but flexibility is needed to implement the rest. They left the meeting happy and said they would discuss the progress with their other organs. But they had delayed in moving forward. The blame is no longer in on the FG. ASUU should come forward with what they think of the FG’s commitment so far.”

     

  • Strike continues, says ASUU despite reaching ‘agreement’ with FG

    …we want varsities opened by weekend – FG

    The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the eight-week old strike embarked upon by the union would continue until an agreement was reached by the members on government proposals concerning their demands.

    Ogunyemi said this after the end of a three-hour meeting between the leadership of the union and government representatives, led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

    The minister said after the meeting that N20bn out of N105bn earned allowance would be released soon by the FG to offset outstanding arrears of 2009/2012 audit verified earnings in the university system.

    He also said more than N15.3bn had been confirmed by the Ministry of Finance and the Office of Accountant General to have been released to accommodate payment of service shortfall in the system.

    He added that the Federal Government would expect feedback from ASUU by Thursday so that schools could be reopened by weekend.

    But despite the commitments and other proposals, Ogunyemi said that the strike would not be called off until ASUU members agreed to the government proposal.

    He said, “We have had an extensive session looking at all the issues and just like the minister said, there are issues that will require further consultations at the level of our union before we can make any pronouncement on our stand.

    “The Federal Government has promised to reach us as soon as possible with a proposal on those areas where further consultation is needed. The strike continues.

    “We are still going for consultation. What we discussed is not about us but our people. I am not sure that there is an end in sight.”

    While briefing the media at the end of the meeting, Ngige said, “We made progress with ASUU’s understanding and cooperation and we trashed out the issues on the agenda.

    “ASUU has fulfilled its own side of the bargain in terms of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, which is the pension fund company floated by the union to take care of pensions of those in the university system. Pension regulators have given certain conditions to be fulfilled.

    “A temporary licence was given to ASUU and it has expired. ASUU has submitted all documents needed to get the licence. The meeting resolved that the Ministry of Education should get in touch with the National Pension Commission to make sure that permanent licence is issued as soon as possible.

    “On the issue of state universities’ funding, we have agreed at the last meeting to set up a consultative committee to interact with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and authorities of state universities to make sure that funding is not the problem. The initial seven-man committee is now enlarged to accommodate the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities. This committee will interact with the NGF and individual governors of states that own universities.

    “On service shortfall in the universities, the Ministry of Finance and Office of Accountant General have provided evidence that on December 31, 2018, more than N15.3bn was remitted to accommodate payment of short fall in all tertiary institutions that the Presidential Initiative of Continuous Audit verified.

    “On the issue of earned allowances, they showed evidence that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved N20bn out of about N105bn to be used to offset the outstanding arrears of 2009 to 2012 audit verified earnings in the universities. It will be released as soon as the processes are completed. The rest will be paid in tranches.

    “We also discussed the issue of revitalisation which the last regime entered into with ASUU with a payment of N220bn annually for six years starting from 2009.

    “That arrangement has not been fulfilled. Government being continuous, this government has agreed to source for funding. We have offered ASUU some token to show good faith.

    “ASUU is satisfied with what the Ministry of Education is doing on the issue of visitation panel. We have it on good authority that the panel will in the next fortnight visit the universities to see what has been done.

    We expect ASUU to take back the content of this meeting and areas where further consultation needed to be done back to their members. We need to meet again to draft an agreement by Thursday.

    “This is our request so that the universities can be open to students. We are working towards seeing the schools open by weekend.”

     

  • Minimum Wage: NLC postpones strike, to hold nationwide protest Tuesday

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will on Tuesday hold a nationwide protest to drive its demand for the upward review of the national minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000.

    The General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said in a statement that there would be no strike for now.

    Ozo-Eson, therefore, asked members of the public to disregard reports that the strike would begin tomorrow.

    The statement read in part, “It has come to our attention that some sections of the news media have largely misrepresented our action plan in reaction to the delay in transmitting the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on a new national minimum wage to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “It should be recalled that the National Executive Council of the NLC met on December 17 last year and directed that we hold nationwide mobilisation of workers and our allies if, by December 31, 2018, the bill on the national minimum wage has yet to be sent to the National Assembly to be passed as an Act of Parliament.

    “We immediately announced then that on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, there will be a nationwide mass mobilisation and protests simultaneously across all states in Nigeria. This does not translate to a strike.”

  • Strike: We’re unaware of N15.9bn payment by FG – ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has not been briefed on the alleged payment of N15.9 billion to universities by the federal government, two months after it embarked on strike.

    The union’s National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

    The unionist was reacting to reports that the federal government had on December 31, 2018, released N15.9 billion to universities.

    The report stated that the fund was for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities.

    “Well someone actually drew my attention to that newspaper report. I have not received any formal letter from federal government, conveying such information to us.

    “The only information I got from the Minister of Labour this afternoon when we spoke was that they have done something concerning our demands; what they have done, I do not know.

    “The other thing he told me was that there is going to be a meeting between us (ASUU) and government on Monday.

    “It is only when we get to the meeting that we will be able to know what government has done and if it is okay by us, then we will convey same to our members who will now take the next line of action,” he said.

    The union on November 4, 2018, embarked on what they had described as ‘comprehensive, total and indefinite nationwide strike’ to press home their demands.

    The striking lecturers are protesting against alleged non-implementation of agreements they entered into with the federal government in 2013 and 2017.

    They are also protesting the poor welfare, poor funding, and general decay in education infrastructure, among others.

    Since the commencement of the strike, members of the union have met with the federal government six times, to find a way forward to the issues, all ending in a deadlock.

     

  • Hope for Nigerian students as FG releases N15.89b to varsities to end ASUU strike

    Indications emerged that Nigerian varsities may reopen soon, with the Federal Government making concessions to the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    The concessions will be tabled before the union’s leaders on Monday at a meeting to be convened by Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige.

    The Minister has reached out to the ASUU leadership for the “robust feedback session” with the hope that the union will return to the negotiation table.

    Recall that the aggrieved university lecturers on November 4, last year, began a strike to push the implementation of the 2017 Memorandum of Action.

    The Memorandum was a follow-up to the 2009 FG-ASUU Agreement.

    ASUU National President Biodun Ogunyemi attributed the strike to “the insincerity of government in meeting our demands”.

    The demands are:

    • payment of shortfall in salaries of universities;
    • waiver/ government fiat to set up Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company;

    (NUPEMCO);

    • revitalisation funds for varsities; and
    • payment of earned academic allowances for lecturers, senior staff and other workers.

    But on Monday, the Federal Government succeeded in addressing the demands of the lecturers and other unions.

    “One of the conditions met by the Federal Government was the release of N15.89billion to universities on New Year’s Eve( Monday) for the payment of shortfall in salaries of universities,” a source said.

    “The cash is expected to hit the account of all the institutions on or before the close of work today (Wednesday),” he added, pleading not to be named.

    “The government has also set aside N20billion as revitalisation funds for varsities. The National Universities Commission( NUC) has been directed to work out the modalities for allocating the funds to all institutions.

    “On the demand for the setting up of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company

    ( NUPEMCO), the government has directed the National Pension Commission (NUPEMCO) to issue a licence for the company’s take-off.

    “Funds have also been set aside for Earned Academic allowances for lecturers, senior staff and other workers.”

    Replying a question, the source added: “This agreement was inherited by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, but despite the lean resources available to the government as a result of the fall in oil prices, we have done our best to meet ASUU demands.”

    Ngige said: “We have gone far in considering the demands of the lecturers. We have substantially met the conditions.

    “I am meeting with ASUU leaders on Monday where all steps taken by the government will be tabled before them. This is a responsive and transparent government, we have done our best to meet the conditions.

    “In fact, officials from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning will be at the next meeting with ASUU leadership where they will be briefed on facts and figures.

    “We are hopeful that the actions taken by the government will be acceptable to ASUU for our schools to reopen.”

  • SERAP drags FG to UN over ‘failure to end ASUU strike’

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sent an urgent appeal to two UN special rapporteurs urging them to “prevail upon the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reach an agreement to end the ongoing strike action by ASUU, which continues to have real and dire consequences on the right to higher education, specifically university education, as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    In the urgent appeal dated 28 December 2018 and signed by SERAP senior legal adviser Bamisope Adeyanju, the organization said: “By failing to prevent and end the ongoing strike action by ASUU, the Nigerian government has defied and breached the explicit requirements of the right to equal access to higher education by Nigerian children and young people, under article 13(2)(c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.”

    The urgent appeal sent to Ms. Koumbou Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the right to education and Professor Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights argues that: “The failure by the Nigerian government to reach an agreement with ASUU has also implicitly made access to higher education a privilege of the rich and well-to-do rather than a right of every Nigerian child and young person, as students in private schools continue to attend classes while those in public universities stay at home.

    According to SERAP, “The failure to end the ongoing strike action by ASUU is also a fundamental breach of the right to higher education without discrimination or exclusion, as strike actions continue to penalise economically disadvantaged parents who have no means or lack the capacity to pay to send their children to private schools.

    The urgent appeal read in part: “The obligations of the Nigerian government to create the conditions necessary for the enjoyment of the right to education include to take preventive measures to address the root causes of strike action by ASUU and to take steps to end any strike action in a timely manner when it occurs.”

    “It is the responsibility of the government to preserve and strengthen education as a public good and a matter of public interest. Without the urgent intervention of the Special Rapporteurs, the ongoing strike action by ASUU would continue and this would continue to impede access to university education for the poor and marginalized.”

    “SERAP is concerned that Nigerian students in public universities have suffered many years of academic disruption as a result of the failure of successive Nigerian governments to address the root causes of strike action by ASUU and to timely reach agreement to end strike action and its devastating consequences on the right to equal and quality higher education.”

    “Persistent strike actions in the education sector have continued to cause disruption of classes and undermine both the quality and duration of students’ education.”

    “We note that the right to strike is one of the fundamental means available to workers to promote their interests. However, we are seriously concerned that the failure by both the Nigerian government and ASUU to make substantial progress in negotiations and reach amicable settlement to end the unduly prolonged strike action has undermined the right of Nigerian children and young people to higher education.”

    “The ongoing strike action by ASUU in Nigeria if not urgently addressed would continue to have grave consequences for the youth of our country as well as the country’s development and progress as a whole.”

    “Universal access is an essential prerequisite for the exercise of the right to education. But the failure by the Nigerian government to end the strike action by ASUU has contributed to denying students from disadvantaged backgrounds equal access to university education, as these students are unable or lack the capacity to pay to access private schools.”

    “This situation has aggravated existing disparities in access to university education in the country, further marginalizing economically disadvantaged parents and students.”

    “SERAP believes that providing Nigerian children and young people equal access to higher education should be the core public service functions of the Nigerian government. Providing public schools ranks at the very apex of the function of a State.”

    “SERAP believes that equal access of Nigerian children and young people to quality and uninterrupted education including at the university level would contribute to producing citizens who are fundamentally equal and people who actively participate in society. It would enable people to enjoy the rights as well as fulfil obligations that are associated with citizenship.”

    “According to our information, members of ASUU suspended their academic responsibilities in the first week of November 2018, and weeks of negotiations with the Nigerian government since then have yielded no amicable settlement or agreement. ASUU is alleging failure by the Nigerian authorities to implement 2009 agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding.”

    “SERAP notes that article 13(2)(c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights explicitly guarantees the right to higher education, which includes university education. According to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, states parties are required to make higher education including university education available on equal basis, and to ensure the progressive introduction of free education at all levels of education.”

    “States parties including Nigeria have obligations to ensure that the liberty of providing education set out in article 13(4) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights does not lead to extreme disparities of educational opportunity for some groups in society.”

    “The rights and values enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) all point to the right to the provision of equal access to quality education including at the university level. These rights include human rights, such as the right to equality and the right to human dignity as well as numerous other civil and political rights, such as access to information, which cannot be properly understood or exercised if one is inadequately trained and uneducated.”

  • Minimum wage: Blame FG if we embark on another strike – NLC

    Minimum wage: Blame FG if we embark on another strike – NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday said Nigerians should not blame the union for the looming industrial chaos in January owing to what it perceived as the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari over the N30,000 minimum wage.

    The union also knocked Buhari for his proposed establishment of a technical committee to look into the minimum wage issue, stressing that the only recognised panel was the tripartite committee that had already submitted its report on the minimum wage.

    The union had on Friday said in a communiqué issued after its meeting in Abuja that it would stage a nationwide protest on January 8, 2019 over what it described as the Federal Government’s delay in transmitting, enacting and implementing a new national minimum wage of N30,000 for workers.

    The union also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate state governors for alleged diversion of the bailout funds and other finds released by the Federal Government to them.

    Earlier, the union had frowned on a statement credited to the Nigeria Governors Forum which stated that states would not be able to pay the new minimum wage. The statement was released by the NGF Chairman, Abdulaziz Yari, after a meeting of the governors.

    The NLC said it made a lot of sacrifices to lower its demand from N60,000 to N30,000, stressing that the governors were carried along before the new amount was arrived at.

    It called on the governors not to treat workers like slaves.

    In chat with newsmen, the General Secretary of the NLC, Peter Ozo-Eson, reiterated workers’ resolve not to accept anything lower than the proposed N30,000 minimum wage.

    He said, “After the statement we issued on the coming industrial strike, we have not heard anything from the Presidency. The day we submitted the report, he (Buhari) promised that he would speedily transmit a draft bill to the National Assembly; but till today, about two months after, he has not transmitted that to the National Assembly.

    “What we heard during the budget presentation at the National Assembly is that a high-powered technical committee will be set up. We find that very unfortunate because the technical committee in relation to minimum wage is the tripartite committee that has finished its work and made recommendations.

    “Talking of any committee, be it low-powered, medium-powered or high-powered at this stage is unacceptable to us. We formally reject it and call on Mr President to send the bill to the National Assembly. The ultimatum we gave is for the bill to be sent to the NASS. The House took a resolution calling on the President to bring the bill; what is the difficulty he is having? If he cannot do it, nobody should hold organised labour in the country responsible for the industrial chaos that is likely to follow.”

    The NLC secretary also knocked the governors for what he described as unaccountable expenditure, saying that the union was not using the forthcoming elections to blackmail them.

    “The minimum wage issue is not a partisan issue. It is one of the issues that will determine the next elections. Workers are not slaves; politics is about interest and seeking one’s own interest. If workers in their states are saying that they will not vote for them because they have not taken care of their interest, you don’t call that blackmail. I have a different name for it; that is democracy. That is how democracy works. They can go and mourn till high heaven; we will continue to work in that direction,” Ozo-Eson added.

     

  • NANS issues two weeks ultimatum to FG, ASUU over lingering strike

    NANS issues two weeks ultimatum to FG, ASUU over lingering strike

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a two weeks ultimatum to the federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the lecturers’ strike or be ready for confrontation.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the association’s president, Danielson Akpan, on Sunday.

    The ASUU strike commenced on November 4 after the lecturers accused the federal government of not implementing previous agreements.

    ASUU has had several meetings with the federal government but both parties have been unable to reach a consensus.

    “The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), after a holistic critique of the lingering industrial actions embarked upon by the academic staff of our tertiary institution has issued a TWO WEEKS ULTIMATUM to both the FG and ASUU to call off the lingering strike or face the full wrath of angry Nigerian students,” Mr Akpan said.

    The association also kicked against not being allowed to be part of the negotiation between federal government and ASUU.

    “To our greatest consternation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities has resisted vehemently, the idea of having students’ representatives during these meetings and rather, called for closed door meetings between the Federal Ministry of Education and the leaders of the Union.”

    “And the FG has agreed that we observe the negotiations, hence, we’re at the receiving end. We are worried and (are asking) – what is ASUU hiding? ”

    The union leader said the strike has affected students academics, the accumulating cost of accommodation and could disenfranchise students from participating in the 2019 general elections.

    He threatened a mass protest across the country and the mobilisation of 100,000 students for a protest in Abuja.

    “They must be ready to pay back monetary compensations to Nigerian students from their salaries that continue to count even when they are not working at all, at our detriment,” he added

    “We are determined to carry out these actions to the fullest, if our campuses are not reopened at the expiration of this ultimatum. We therefore urge the FG and ASUU not to test our resolve as Nigerian students have been patient and (have been) taken for granted for far too long,” Mr Akpan said.