Imo Rep Miriam Onuoha Makes ASUU Intervention

The Member representing Okigwe/Mbano/Isiala Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Miriam Onuoha has pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off the strike it began on Monday.

Onuoha, who made the appeal on Tuesday, while contributing to a motion of urgent national importance on the floor of the house over the latest ASUU strike, also called on the federal government to go back to the negotiation table in order to reach a compromise.

ASUU had announced a two-week warning strike, following federal government’s stand on non-payment of salaries of lecturers not captured on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU National President, Biodun Ogunyemi made the disclosure in Enugu at ASUU’s National Executive Council Meeting.

Ogunyemi stressed that the aim of the strike action was to ensure FG’s compliance with the Memorandum of Action it had with the union in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

“NEC resolved to embark on two weeks warning strike action with effect from Monday 9th March 2020, to compel the Government to implement the agreement and resolution,” he said.

But while contributing to the motion, Onuoha said the issue of incessant ASUU strikes affect Nigerian students negatively, adding that social vices will be on the rise, if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner.

The lawmaker said she had been a victim of ASUU strikes in the past and had hoped the dispute between the union and the government would have been resolved, only for the strikes to keep reoccurring. 

“I will like to contribute to this motion moved by my colleague. I will say this motion has come very timely. At a time like this, I will like to bring to the fore an important issue that we all know when two elephants are fighting, there is a popular saying that, the grass always suffers, and in this incident, who is the grass? I don’t know how often we put the position of the Nigerian students, who are directly affected by these incessant strikes,” she said.

“I was a victim back then and we keep saying that overtime these agreements and anomalies will improve. But here am I in this chamber still speaking about ASUU strike. I will like to draw our attention to the fact, when these undergraduates and students are left at home, as a result of these strikes, if not timely addressed, a lot of social vices will be on the rise.

“Most of the communities housing these schools and federal institutions will become the first target. If you see the faces and expressions of these people, who are directly affected right now, you will see faces of terror.

“I like us as a house to support this motion and do whatever it takes to bring back the previous agreements that have been entered both by government and ASUU. When you talk about negotiations and tradeoffs and compromises, you go over and over and over and over, no agreement is cast in stone.

“Even if the federal government has entered into agreement in the past, which it can longer meet because of the economic circumstances and realities, I’ll plead with ASUU to just sheath their swords and handle this situation calmly while we appeal to the federal government to come back to the negotiation table and arrive at a point where we both come to a compromise. I support this motion and I thank the mover,” she concluded.