Peter Obi Reveals Why ASUU Strike Lingers

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has lamented the effect of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), noting the cause as ‘staggering corruption’ level in Nigeria.

CityNews Nigeria recalls that ASUU announced its resolve to convert the roll-over strike it had embarked on since February to an indefinite strike due to what it described as “failure” on the part of the government to meet its demands.

The union demands include the payment of earned allowances, payment of revitalisation funds to universities, creation of visitation panels and implementation of the University Transparency Accountability Solution instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System for the payment of workers in the ivory towers.

In a statement on Monday, ASUU president, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the purpose of its strike is to save public universities from dying.

Taking to his Twitter handle on Wednesday to lament the ongoing strike, Peter Obi said that ‘staggering corruption’ level in Nigeria is the reason universities have remained closed for six months.

He added that the country has also been polarised along religious and ethnic lines.

He wrote, “Nigeria is vastly polarized and wracked by deep divisions along religious, ethnic and regional lines. There is a staggering level of corruption. Our universities have remained closed for six months.

“While our healthcare system remains almost moribund, power generation and distribution are also at an all-time low. -PO”