The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says there is no going back on its planned "action" to protest the non-implementation of the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.
ASUU had on May 17 given notice of an "action" beginning from an unspecified date in June to compel the National Assembly to pass a bill before it on their demands.
The union had demanded an upward review of the retirement age of professors from 65 to 70 years, upgrade of facilities and proper funding for research in the universities.
The president of the union, Ukachukwu Awuzie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday via telephone that members would not relent in the struggle on the implementation of their demands.
He said he had directed branches of ASUU nationwide to meet and pass a resolution on the issue after which the National Executive Committee (NEC) would take a position.
On the likely effect of the "action" on the students, Mr Awuzie said the struggle was not intended to disrupt the school system, but "to ensure a better academic operation in the universities."
"I want to say that we regret any inconvenience our planned action would have on both the students and the parents.
"It is not our wish to disrupt academic calendar because we equally gain nothing from doing this.
"Rather, we are seeking means of ensuring that things are done rightly by giving the education sector its rightful position," Mr Awuzie said.
The ASUU president said he could not understand why the National Assembly was foot dragging in passing the agreement into law.
"I do not know whether there is a special way of passing this bill that had been begging for attention for years.
"I also doubt if the lawmakers were equally sensitive to what the non-implementation of the said agreement had caused the academic community, students and parents and what it will cause them in future," he added.
Mr Awuzie stressed: "Before the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement, the union had embarked on prolonged strikes at various stages, and because this was not the only way out in settling any dispute, we agreed to sit at a roundtable."
Credits: NAN
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