The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Tuesday accused the Federal Government of starving members with the payment of half salary in October.

The union at special congress/protest rally at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said government has deployed weapons to frustrate the union and keep members in abject poverty.

ASUU UNILAG branch chairman, Dr. Dele Ashiru, accused the government ofan attempt to casualise lecturers and cripple the education sector.

Ashiru condemned the ‘pro-rata’ payment to its members and accused the government of an attempt to reduce Nigerian scholars to casual workers.

He explained that ASUU is using the protest to prevent any form of academics crisis, “we are trying to avert the resumption of another strike.

“ASUU suspended its eight months strike and the action was a display of manifest trust in the judiciary, other institutions and organs of government to always put national interest above all other considerations. This we believe as a union of thinkers, intellectuals, and patriots.

“Sadly, government treatment towards ASUU has demonstrated they cannot be trusted. As the union has reached every means to negotiate with the government rather they keep deploring weapons to frustrate us and keeps us in abject poverty,” Ashiru stated.

Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan branch, Prof. Ayoola Akinwole said the demands of the union is for government to pay in full their October salary, pay the eight-month salary arrears using UTAS payment system.

Other demand includes increase the net salary of academic staff, provide adequate fund to tertiary institutions.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Joint Action Front (JAF), Comrade Abiodun Aremu said the action if the Federal Government is meant to cripple the education sector.

Aremu disclosed that the Federal Government continues to give excuses why it cannot fund education, noting, “the same administration spent billions on allowance of politicians.

“We completely disagreed with the president on funding of tertiary education. The attempt to commercialise education is one of the reasons why the government is fighting ASUU, if we allow a complete commercialisation of education, it will affect the children of ordinary people as many working class children will drop out of school.

“JAF will join forces and declare mass mobilisations and strike. We need to create a common front for all those who suffer under the current system. If the government is allowed to get away with this attack on ASUU, this will affect all other workers in every sector of the economy,” he said.(Daily Sun)