‘ASUU Strike Threat To Education Right’, NHRC Urges Quick Resolution

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the federal government to quickly resolve issues surrounding the incessant strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities else youths’ right to education would be in danger.

ASUU has been on industrial action since February 14, over three months ago and this already has swallowed one semester from the academic year.

Recall that in 2020, the university lecturers and students were at home for nine months and the issues then and now are still about the welfare and wellbeing of lecturers and public universities as well as FG’s delay in approving the union’s payment platform – University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu SAN while commemorating the 2022 International workers day (IWD), said in a statement signed by Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Deputy Director Public Affairs, that if FG does not end the strike by ASUU and three other labour unions, it will “further endanger the right to education of the university students who have lost an academic year as a result of the unfortunate strike.”

Ojukwu said the “Incessant ASUU strike has continued to constitute a major threat to the right to Education of students of our tertiary institutions especially the public Universities where the greater population of our youth attend.”

The NHRC boss urged international agencies to assist in convincing lecturers and the federal government to come to agreement.

He added that Nigeria as a member of the International Labor Organization should effectively dialogue with all labor unions because it will “reinforce the confidence of workers in the government.”