The leadership of the House of Representatives has moved to end the lingering rift between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The House resolved to seek a lasting solution, following a motion sponsored by Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, the lawmaker representing Badagry Federal Constituency.
On Sunday, ASUU embarked on a two-week warning strike pending the Federal Government’s resolve to meet the demands listed in its agreement with the union.
The government, in response to the warning strike, announced a “no work, no pay” policy while admonishing lecturers to return to classrooms.
But in his motion, Whingan urged the parties to embrace dialogue and prioritise the interests of students who he said were at the receiving end of the faceoff.
Reacting to the motion, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said he would lead an ad hoc committee to mediate between the Federal Government and the union.
The lawmakers called for the establishment of a sustainable joint consultative platform, which would be recognised by both parties for future engagements and communication.
He stressed that the warning strike, among other industrial actions previously taken by academic workers’ unions, has continued to impede the lives of students across government-owned tertiary schools in the country.
Describing the university system as the bedrock of Nigeria’s development, Whingan said strike actions have derailed several research works and heightened frustration among students, parents and lecturers.
He said incessant strikes in Nigeria’s institutions have also contributed to brain drain, an increased number of student dropouts, and reduced confidence in the country’s academic system.
According to him, the government and the union must embrace dialogue anchored on transparency and mutual respect for all parties to bring a lasting solution to the challenge.
Also, stakeholders, under the aegis of the Future Nigeria Movement (FNM), have criticised the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for its continued use of strikes as the main means to interact with the Federal Government.
In a statement yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, by its National Leader, Livingstone Wechie, the group described ASUU’s approach as unpatriotic and detrimental to national development.
FNM urged the union to embrace dialogue instead of resorting to industrial actions to gain attention.
“The recent declaration of a two-week warning strike will further drown the educational fortunes of what is left of Nigeria,” it said.
