Academic activities across several Nigerian public universities, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and others, came to a halt as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced a nationwide protest.

The protest, organised in response to unresolved issues with the federal government, saw lecturers and other academic staff go on strike in a coordinated show of solidarity across campuses.

Kayode Adebayo, a chieftain of ASUU and the chapter’s representative at UNILAG, told BusinessDay that the institution, as a member of ASUU, is fully in support of the protest.

“It’s a normal protest to call the attention of everyone on how, since 2009, the dialogue with the federal government has not yielded any results. We’ve gone on strike since the inception of this administration; hence, this government started using it as a measure of achievement, but the point is that they didn’t do anything to improve the lives of ASUU members,” he said.

Adebayo said the protest is to draw attention to the fact that ASUU has tried its best, but the government is not cooperating.

“We have been silent for too long. In the past three years, ASUU has not gone on strike, despite the government’s failure to address our requests.

“ASUU is tired; things can’t continue to be like this; that’s the meaning of the protest basically,” he said.

The former UNILAG-ASUU chairman said the union wants a review of the 2009 agreement; “there is a document before the government that has been submitted since December last year. It’s there; the government has never issued a single word about that document,” he noted.

Idowu Kehinde, the UNILAG’s ASUU chairman, confirmed the protest in a chat with BusinessDay, when he said there will be a press conference after the rally.

Ifeanyi Abada, a chieftain of ASUU at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disclosed that the union members would be embarking on the rally after their chapter congress today.

“They will join the protest today, but that will be after the congress. Academic activities would also be suspended as a result of this,” he emphasised.

Stanley Boroh, senior lecturer at the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, disclosed that the institution would join the protest and mobilise its members fully, and is halting all academic activities for today.

“In fact, we are writing examinations, but all papers for today have been cancelled due to the protest and have been moved to September 1.

“We are marching around the school vicinity with placards to express our displeasure over the government’s attitude, and we are also inviting the press people to cover it,” he explained.

However, at the University of Benin, lecturers did not join the protest, as lectures were going on as usual, according to one of the students, who spoke to BusinessDay.

Recall that Christopher Piwuna, ASUU president, had on Saturday, August 23, announced that the union would embark on a nationwide protest, amid growing frustration over what he described as years of government inaction and broken promises.

Piwuna emphasised that the demonstration is aimed at drawing urgent attention to the persistent neglect of Nigeria’s public university system, including issues such as underfunding, unpaid salaries, and unfulfilled agreements. (BusinessDay)