Apparently worried by the effect of the industrial action embarked upon by the Accademic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senator Representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi has appealed to Government and ASUU to come to a middle ground in the disagreement between them for the sake of the children of the less privileged.
Speaking to newsmen recently in his office in Abuja, the senator asked the two parties to reconcile.
The latest industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is a one Month warning strike which many said is most unwarranted given that universities have been off and on from ASUU strikes and the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown of the country for more than three months.
The senator said, the two parties must reconcile for the sake of the children.
“Most children of the elites are not schooling in Nigeria so for me I think ASUU should bend a bit and the Federal Government should bend a bit, there must be a compromise.
“We must bear in mind that ASUU members deserve good condition of service but the good condition of service must always be within available resources.
“I said this with every sense of responsibility that it is becoming very disturbing when ASUU is all the time on strike. It is quite disturbing. “Agitation for a good standard of living, a good condition of service is what any progressive mind will want. I want ASUU members to be comfortable.
“I want them to live comfortably in such a manner that they cannot derail on their mandate, or have reason to abandoned their profession because there are people who are called for specific jobs, there are people who are called to be teachers.
“So for me I think Government and ASUU must bear one thing in mind that it is the children of the poor who are in the majority of students, they brought us to power, so I am concerned.
“I want Government and ASUU to reconcile, I want them to sit down again nobody should take extreme position. “Extreme position because the role of ASUU is so crucial, critical to National Development. “ASUU deserve good condition of service to be able to teach well, to be able to have confidence in their professional calling. Be that as may Government must try it’s best to meet some of the obligations.”