Academic activities were temporarily brought to a halt in Bauchi state as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), from the Zone on Tuesday embarked on peaceful protests.
The zone which comprises the Universities in Bauchi, Gombe, and Plateau States, embarked on a peaceful protest in continuation of their demand for better teaching and learning environment across the tertiary institutions in the country.
Members of the Union in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU),Bauchi who did not want to be left out in the struggle joined their colleagues in the Zone to participate in the peaceful protest.
Briefing journalists, the Branch Chairman of ASUU, ATBU, Dr Ibrahim Ibrahim INUWA called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal government to as a matter of urgency and national interest, resolve all outstanding issues with ASUU for the wellbeing of the Nigerian nation so that the country will take its rightful place in the globe.
“For the avoidance of doubts we wish to state clearly that we shall continue to defend the University system and the Nigerian State through all legitimate means, we cannot be cowed by tyrants”.
They also frowned at what they described as the federal government’s “deceitful and unpatriotic plan to privatize Nigerian public universities”.
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According to the branch Chairman “It is no longer news that Nigerian public universities were shut down for eight months from 14th February 2022 to 14th October 2022” adding that “The industrial action was embarked upon to call the attention of the Nigerian government to address the lingering issues bedevilling the Nigeria public universities.”
The Union, he said called off the strike in respect of a court order, the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians, as well as the intervention of the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and the leadership of the House of Representative (HOR)”.
“As a patriotic Union, ASUU for years” as made known by him “has been calling on the Government both at State and Federal levels to accord the Nigerian Public Universities a befitting and conducive learning environment that will drive the nation’s well-being through inclusivity and global competitiveness.”
The demands, as further stated by him were conspicuously captured in the FGN/ASUU agreement of 2009″.
While assuring Nigerians that the Union will never be a party to destroying the country, the need for critical stakeholders to prevail on the government to do the needful, he believed has become necessary to the rapid growth of the nation’s universities.
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