By Margaret John
The Chairman of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Tony Enyang has called on the federal government to pay more attention to issues concerning education to avert industrial actions.
Enyang stated this in an interview with CrossRiverWatch over the recent indefinite industrial action embarked upon by the union.
He said the union had exhausted other means of appeals to the government, and resorted to embark on the indefinite and comprehensive strike as a last resort.
“We believe that the government should be serious enough to give attention to these issues bothering on repositioning the Nigerian University system to play its role in the economic and social transformation of our country and we believe that a government that is serious should give this attention and meet our demands in a way that is going to be helpful to the entire educational system,” Enyang said.
He averred that the demands of the inion which dates back to 2009 has long been overdue stating that the government needs to take the union seriously for the good of the Nigerian educational system.
The strike commenced on Sunday 4th November, 2018 and was declared in a bulletin issued by the national body of the union to its members.
The UNICAL branch had in a congress on Tuesday, announced the decision to join the strike to its members and was necessitated by the sudden suspension of the proposed industrial action of the organised labor over the proposed minimum wage.
The strike bulletin signed by the National president of the union, Mr. Biodun Ogunyemi, urged to remain steadfast and resolute, participating fully in the strike action so as to achieve their goals which was stated therein.
And, Enyang told CrossRiverWatch that: “We have written a number of letters and made a number of entreaties seeking to engage government on outstanding issues in the 2017 memorandum of action and the 2013 memorandum of understanding but to no avail.
“We made a lot of appeals; we made a lot of letters and addressed the press but all to no avail so the union had no option; in its meeting on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th of November, to declare the comprehensive strike.”
He called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail upon the government to respond to the needs of the Union as the strike will last for as long as the government delays its response.