FG’s sack threat for ASUU members ‘ll fail – Aturu

LAGOS — Lagos based lawyer and
activist, Barrister Bamidele Aturu,
yesterday, dismissed the Federal
Government's sack threat to striking
university lecturers, saying that
government has failed to appreciate the
rot in the university system. Rather, he
said government should meet the
demands of Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU.
Aturu, who spoke at the 6th Annual Law
and Social Development lecture and
public presentation of a book, 'Law and
Practice of the National Industrial
Court," at Lagos Airport Hotel, said it is
"sad" that the Fededral Government
has failed to appreciate the rot in the
university system which ASUU wants
corrected," adding that members of
ASUU would not be cowed by such
threats.
Condemning the "resume or be sacked"
order, Mr. Aturu said: "The truth of the
matter is that we no longer have
universities in Nigeria. This explains
why many people among the ruling
class have their children and wards in
foreign universities.
"The demands of ASUU in my view are
legitimate and patriotic. The
government should do everything
possible to meet those reasonable
demands in order for our schools to be
reopened as quickly as possible."
He recalled attempts by previous
military governments to cow ASUU
which failed, and warned that the threat
of the education minister will also fail.
The guest lecturer, Professor Sofiri Joab-
Peterside of the Department of
Sociology, Universtity of Port Harcourt,
who spoke on 'The Economy, the
Rogues and the Law: The Development
Conundrum,' noted that, "the average
Nigerian lives on less than one dollar a
day. There are no roads, just as the
public hospitals themselves are "dead"
and the high education sector
practically broken with ASUU on strike
for more than four months over the
Federal Government's unfulfilled
agreement, while the culture of
impunity has become an integral part of
the norm of political appointees."
Also, Barrister Aturu, who insisted that
those responsible for the accident that
killed Professor Festus Iyayi be brought
to book, said, "Iyayi did not die in an
accident, he was murdered, pure and
simple.
"We reiterate our call for the driver of
the escort vehicle that snuffed the life
out of this noble champion of the
oppressed to be fished out and
prosecuted. They may have privatised
the economy; we won't let them
privatise our lives."
He also dismissed the on- going
National Conference, saying that it will
not achieve the objectives of the
original proponents of the idea. Though,
he spoke against the decision to
boycott it, suggesting that progressive
organisations should use the forum to
state their views on the state of the
nation.
Professor Sofiri Joab- Peterside, also a
guest speaker lamented that Nigeria
has been unable to make any
remarkable development as a result of
corruption . SOurce Vanguard Ng