Academic Frontier Initiative (AFI), a non-partisan organisation, has called on the Federal Government to urgently meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in order to re-open public universities across the country.

ASUU embarked on industrial action over eight months following the non-implementation of 2009 Agreement, 2019 Memorandum of Action, Arrears of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), revitalisation funds, among other issues.

In a press statement, signed by the AFI National President, Dr. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, and Secretary, Dr. Tochukwu Oguegbe, the group urged the Federal Government to delay no further in attending to the agitations of ASUU, noting that the recent #EndSARS protests by youths sweeping across the country was fuelled by continued closure of universities.

According to them, people are looking at these protests as a mere campaign against police brutality but the truth is that it is tilting towards revolution. Nigerians are no longer happy the way our leaders are handling issues in this country.

“Look at how the Federal Government is crippling the public university education. How long will members of ASUU and even non-academic staff continue to embark on strike as a last resort?

“Isn’t it time for the government to be responsible and committed for once by honouring the agreements between them and ASUU? Enough is enough, let the Federal Government address this issue once and for all,” the statement reads in part.

The group further urged youths to avoid violence in their peaceful protests, while regretting that some hoodlums and miscreants used the opportunity of the protest to unleash mayhem on unsuspecting public and unlawfully cart away other people’s belongings. This, according to them, resulted in wanton loss of lives and properties.

“We condemn in entirely, hoodlums who took advantage of the peaceful protests by the youths to destroy both individual and government properties. This poses a security threat to us as a people and it is never in the best interest of anyone,” they warned.

The group, therefore, enjoined security agencies to double its efforts in restoring law and order across the country, stressing that there cannot be progress without law and order.

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