‘ASUU Has Lost Nigerians’ Sympathy’

The Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians, CERON, Monday said the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has lost the sympathy of Nigerians including parents and students over its resolve to declare an indefinite strike, six months after withdrawing its services from public universities.

The groups said it amounts to outright insensitivity to the plight of parents and students who had severally appealed to the union to call off the action.

Speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, the Secretary of CERON, Mr. Francis Odiir said the decision of ASUU had left students and their parents devastated.

He said: “Most Nigerian homes are in somber mood since the news of the decision of ASUU to declare an indefinite strike, after keeping students at home for six months, broke.

“It is really unfortunate that after Nigerians appealed to the union to make concessions by considering the pains of the students and their parents and call off the action, they rather resolved to call an indefinite action.

“It is sad that they chose this path after the appeals from Nigerians considering the fact that other associations in public universities have all called off their action after similar appeals from Nigerians and the government.

“Their decision is outright insensitivity to the plight of the students and parents who are all devastated by this unpopular decision. Strangely ASUU failed to realize that those who are affected by their decision are poor parents whose wards populate the public universities.

“These are people who have over time sympathized with them but today they are worse hit by the decision; and the truth is that by this decision, ASUU has lost that sympathy it enjoyed among majority of Nigerians which is a huge minus for them.

“As a group, we had earnestly appealed to them to call off the action while they continue with the negotiations with the Federal Government but they would not have any of that. Unfortunately it is the poor masses who would be at the receiving end of this unpopular decision, it is sad and devastating.”