The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is not against the reopening of the country’s public universities by their governing councils but insists that its members will not return to work today as demanded by the Nigerian Government.

“The governing councils of the schools are free to open the schools because we did not close it. We are only withdrawing our services. The councils are doing their own work but they cannot force ASUU members to return to the classrooms,” ASUU National Treasurer, Dr. Ademola Aremu, told newsmen yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

ASUU has been on strike since July 1 over government’s failure to implement a 2009 agreement. Government is threatening to sack lecturers who fail to resume work by today. It had shifted the seven-day ultimatum earlier issued to ASUU members, from December 4 to December 9, as a mark of respect for the union’s former National President, Prof. Festus Iyayi, who died in an auto crash on his way to a National Executive Committee meeting of the union in Kano and was buried at the weekend.

Aremu was, however, insistent while speaking with journalists yesterday, that ASUU members would not resume until their demands were met.

His words: “Our position has not changed because we are still on strike. When we met the president, we had a number of agreements but when the presidency communicated to us, we noticed some gaps.

“We have written to the government on our observation but up till now, it has not responded. The only response from government representatives was the accusation against us that we are making new demands. This was after the letter we wrote to the government was exposed to the whole world.

“ASUU is not asking for anything new; what we are saying is that government should perfect the documentation binding the agreement we had with it. We know the agreement we had with the government and we will stand on it.”

Aremu accused government of playing politics with the death of Iyayi, saying: “The government did not play any role in the burial of Iyayi, who died in the struggle. The Federal Government should have been more responsive instead of threatening our members with sack. The system was used during the military era and it did not work. Why will it work in a democratic environment? I don’t think any right thinking government will use threat to achieve peace.”

On the statement by the National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, that government is ready to pay the four months’ salary arrears owed academic staff who return to work, Aremu said: “This government does not want things to work at all. We wrote to the government that we noticed some gaps but instead of writing us back to clear issues, it began to use threat as a weapon. It now said that those who resume on Monday will get the four month salary being owed. Don’t you think the government cannot be trusted?

“I don’t think anyone who is worth the certificate he is using to work as a lecturer will panic because of four months salary. You only treat casual workers in such way and not people with intellectual endowment. ASUU members are not casual workers, so Okojie’s position will not shake us.”

•Photo shows ASUU President Nasir Isa Fagge.

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