The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state Chapter was yesterday stopped from successfully holding a peaceful rally to enlighten the public on the ASUU/FGN 2009 Agreement and MOU of January 24th 2012, which has remained the issue behind the lingering strike.
They
barricaded the main gate of the university with a number of their vans and
prevented anybody from moving into and out of the university.
Reacting
to the action of the police, ASUU Co-ordinator for Calabar Zone, Dr. Charles
Ononuju described it as “unfortunate”.
“Unfortunately
and sad the security agents prevented the lecturers from expressing their views
to the public.
“Thousands
of police men and women with their vehicles and guns barricaded the university
gate. It is very ridiculous that in a democratic dispensation lecturers were
denied their freedom for peaceful rally.
“The
union is asking the government to implement the agreement it entered freely
with the union in 2009.
“It
must be stated again that our struggle has nothing to do with politics or
religion as has been canvassed by government agents.
“When
the agreement was signed there was no politics and also when the MOU of 2012
was signed, there was no politics but now the union is asking for
implementation, politics has come in but those who are saying that our struggle
has been politicized, are enemies of this country.
“Threat,
blackmail and intimidation will not and cannot resolve this problem. We call on
the country to jettison this idea and resolve the issues. The union cannot be
blackmailed to suspend the action until the ASUU/FGN 2009 agreement and MOU of
January 24th 2012, which is the road map to revitalize the public university
system, is implemented”, Ononuju said.
Police
have recently been disrupting rallies and protests by the union.
No comments:
Post a Comment