I Have Lost Sympathy For ASUU – Jos Archbishop -

Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most
Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, on Sunday
rued the prolonged strike by
members of the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, saying he had
lost sympathy for the lecturers.
Kaigama, who spoke at the 80th
Anniversary of St. Theresa’s Catholic
Church in Jos, Plateau State, said
that members of ASUU had lost
focus on the cause for their battle.
The cleric said that ASUU, by
allowing the strike to linger and
allowing students to stay at home
for four months running, had
exhibited utter insensitivity to the
plight of Nigerian students and their
future.
He said he regretted that the
association had failed to yield to
pleas from all quarters, including the
Catholic Bishops Conference of
Nigeria, stressing that ASUU had
shown that it was fighting for other
causes other than the future of
education in the country.
Kaigama said, “Initially I was with
ASUU, but when they have allowed
the students to stay at home for
four months now they begin to lose
my sympathy. You don’t go on a
strike for a long time, especially in a
sector like education, which is the
bedrock of the development of any
society.
“You said you are fighting for the
students and have allowed them to
stay at home for more than four
months, you must be fighting for
something else. You have made your
point and all I expect is that they
should have listened to all the
pleadings by Nigerians, including the
Catholic Bishops Conference, which
has just ended its meeting in Benue
State and where we appealed to
ASUU, in the interest of Nigerian
students, to go back to the
classroom”
Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor
Abdulfatai Ahmed has joined others
who have been begging ASUU to
sheathe its sword. Ahmed appealed
to the striking university teachers to
reconsider their stance and return to
the classroom.
Ahmed made the call while speaking
with journalists in Abuja on the
sidelines of the 2013 World
Teachers’ Day Celebration where he
received the NUT Award of
Excellence alongside his
counterparts from Enugu and Yobe
states, Sullivan Chime and Ibrahim
Geidam respectively.
The governor expressed the
confidence that the Federal
Government would soon end the
protracted industrial action.
“I am sure the Federal Government is
looking at the industrial action
critically to ensure that all areas of
dispute are brought to an
understanding that will bring to an
end the current dispute,” he said.
The National President of the Nigeria
Union of Teachers, Mr. Michael
Olukoye, while fielding questions
from journalists reiterated his advice
to the Federal Government to set up
a team comprising the President,
President of the Senate, Speaker of
the House of Representatives and
former presidents like Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo and
representatives of the Vice
Chancellors to meet with ASUU and
find a common ground to resolve
the impasse.
Olukoye observed that members of
ASUU refused to call off despite the
government’s commitment because
of lack of confidence in the
government.
He said, “Immediately we gave that
ultimatum the first person to invite
us was the Minister of Labour and
the Supervising Minister for
Education, we met with them and
they told us all that they have been
able to do to put the matter behind
us.
“We have not been able to meet with
ASUU but we advised that if these
people said they need about N400bn
and you have been able to provide
N130bn, well, to all intent and
purposes, it is a good beginning.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/i-have-
lost-sympathy-for-ASUU-jos-archbishop/

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