Honour agreement with ASUU, group tells FG

Some former students’ leaders have called on
the Federal Government to honour the
agreement it entered with the Academic Staff
Union of Universities to save the educational
sector from collapse.
The ex-students’ leaders, who spoke on
Tuesday under the auspices of the Past Rivers
State Students’ Leaders’ Forum, explained that
though the Federal Government had continued
to appeal for the understanding of the striking
lecturers, it was necessary for the government
to show more commitment toward resolving
the problem.
Chairman of PARSLEAF, Mr. Amakiri Amakuro,
told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the
disagreement between ASUU and the Federal
Government would have been resolved if
government had acted swiftly on the warning
notice from the union.
Amakuro also charged ASUU, other unions in
the nation’s tertiary institutions and
stakeholders in the educational sector to
embrace peace and return to the negotiating
table with government in the interest of the
country.
“We appreciate the Federal Government’s
appeals for understanding and commitment to
meeting ASUU’s demand. We, however, call on
the Federal Government to make further
commitment to honouring the agreement
entered into with ASUU in order to save the
educational system from total collapse.
“We also call on the leadership of ASUU to
explore other means of engaging with
government in drawing their attention as the
option of strike is no longer fashionable and
acceptable.
“If strike must be used, it should not last for
more than a few hours as is the practice in
developed countries. We passionately appeal
to the Federal Government, ASUU and other
stakeholders in the educational sector to
sheathe their swords,” he said.