The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over what it called foot-dragging in the implementation of the new Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, reached between it and the Federal Government.
The union also condemned the sack of 90 staff members of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Ibadan and called on the government and the masses to rise against what it called the “intimidation of the oppressed’’ in the institution.
The National Treasurer of ASUU, Dr Ademola Aremu, and Chairman of University of Ibadan branch of the union, Dr Olusegun Ajiboye, made these remarks at ASUU/Press parley in Ibadan on Sunday.
Aremu said it was disturbing that in spite of signing an MOU and calling off the strike, allocation of funds was yet to be implemented for the needs assessment project of Nigerian universities.
“The Federal Government ought to have commenced the process of depositing an additional N55 billion for the first quarter as agreed in the MOU with President Jonathan’’, he said.
Ajiboye added that ASUU was tired of “earmarking of the funds but now needs eye-marking of it with visible projects executed with the funds.’’
He urged the Federal Government not to delay in the implementation of the MoU as such might breed further acrimony within the university system.
He decried the sack of 90 workers at CRIN and urged all well-meaning Nigerians to rise and defend injustices being meted out to the affected people.
He urged the Director General of CRIN Prof. Malachi Akoroda, to tread softly and be democratic in steering the affairs of CRIN.