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FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ,has condemned in unequivocal terms ,the assault of the Federal Government under the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari on Nigerian intellectuals
The ASUU, University of Benin Chapter made the condemnation in press statement signed by the chairman, Ray.N.Chikogu and Secretary, Success O.Abusomwan for and on behalf of the Uniben ASUU.
It stated that the ill-advised savagery has found expression in a series of unconscionable actions including the insensitive and irresponsible refusal to conclude the renegotiation of the FGN-ASUU 2009 agreement, the failure to pay up earned academic allowances and arrears of promotion entitlement dating to as far back as 2016, the impudent inefficiency and irregularities going on in the IPPIS office and the consequent non payment of salaries of academic variously ranging between three and eighteen months from 2020 to date
They further added that the recent attempt to criminalize a strike action validly and justifiable called to challenge government’s systematic destruction of the Nigerian University System by withholding of the salaries of university intellectuals for months and the more recent nauseating payment of October 2022 salaries to academic staff on a prorated basis as if intellectualism is a manial job and intellectuals engage in research and the pursuit of knowledge are unskilled wand casual laboures
“This atrocious course of action by the Federal Government is clearly borne out of unpatriotic and selfish intent , without any consideration for the growth and development needs of the nation in the end the Federal Government is seeking to abdicate it’s responsibility towards the provision of free ,quality and accessible education to ordinary Nigerians against the dictates of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
They subsequently added that the federal government intention in the medium term is to hike fees and charges as well as price access to quality university education out of the reach of the children of the ordinary Nigerians through the trumpeting of the unscrupulous claim that the federal government cannot continue to fund public university education in the same country in which an unproductive NNPC with the President as petroleum minister expended N33bn on entertainment and telephone calls N788.7bn as administrative cost but they are yet to remit a dime in 2022 into FG account for the benefits of state and local government
While on the long term, public Universities will be completely destroyed and only the children of thieving politicians will benefit from university education either in local private institutions or foreign universities
The union however expressed confidence confident to overcome the wicked and aberrant actions of the federal government and the sadism of the Chris Ngige ,the labour and employment minister and called on the NLC ,Civil Society Organization, Nigerian Students ,the Press and all well meaning Nigerians to be aware of the unfolding plot of government functionaries against ordinary Nigerians and urged everyone to remain resilient in support of ASUU and the laudable ideals for which the union will continue to struggle
