The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has shared why it hasn’t gone on strike since the current government took over nearly two years ago despite repeated threats and growing frustration.
In a chat with Nigerian Tribune, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union has been deliberately holding back. According to him, they want to make it clear that they’re not the problem when it comes to the long-standing issues with the 2009 Agreement, the government is.
“We’ve decided to be patient this time,” he explained. “We want people to see that it’s not ASUU that keeps rushing into strikes. It’s the government that keeps pushing us there.”
He said the union is giving the government more time to fix things so that when or if ASUU eventually decides to take action, no one will say they didn’t try.
And no, it’s not out of fear. “ASUU can’t be caged,” Osodeke said firmly. “No government has that power.”
