By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members at the Federal University Dutse (FUD), Jigawa State, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over what they described as the Federal Government’s failure to honour agreements reached with the union.
The protest, which began at the Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi Auditorium and terminated at the Senate Building of the university’s permanent site, saw lecturers carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Stop jeopardizing the future of Nigerian universities,” “Our take-home cannot take us home,” and “Pay lecturers African average salary.”
Addressing journalists, FUD ASUU branch chairperson, Comrade Salim Ahmed, faulted the Federal Government for what he termed persistent neglect of lecturers’ demands. He declared that the patience of the union was wearing thin, insisting “enough is enough.”
Ahmed listed unresolved issues to include the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, signing of the Nimi Briggs (Yayele-led) Committee report, payment of withheld three and half months’ salaries, and settlement of third-party deductions.
“We have waited long enough for the government to do the needful, but nothing has been done. Our patience is over,” he stressed.
The union urged the Federal Government to urgently address the demands in order to safeguard the future of the country’s university system.