Sen. Adeyemi Placates FG, ASUU Over Strikes

Sen. Smart Adeyemi (APC-Kogi West) on Monday in Abuja appealed to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to find a solution to the on-going warning strike.

ASUU embarked on a one-month warning strike on Feb.14 to compel the Federal Government to implement agreements reached between the two parties in the past.

“The Federal Government and the union should come to a middle ground in the disagreement between them,’’ Adeyemi charged.

Adeyemi, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the strike was most unwarranted given incessant strikes by ASUU which had affected universities calendars.

He stressed that the two sides should reconcile for the sake of Nigerian students.

“Most children of the elite are not schooling in Nigeria; I think ASUU should bend a bit and the Federal Government should bend a bit; there must be a compromise.

“I want government and ASUU to reconcile; I want them to sit down again. No side should take extreme position because the role of ASUU is so critical to national development.

“We must also bear in mind that ASUU members deserve good condition of service, but the good condition of service must always be within available resources,’’ he said.

He stressed that the good condition of service was necessary to enable the varsity teachers to have confidence and be comfortable in their professional calling.

“Be that as it may, government must try its best to meet some of ASUU’s obligations,’’ Adeyemi said.