ASUU: We’re not considering going on strike for now

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it has no plan of embarking on an industrial action now.

Biodun Ogunyemi, president of ASUU, gave the assurance in an interview with NAN on Thursday, in Abuja.

Reacting to the reports that the union was thinking of embarking on another strike action, Ogunyemi said it should be disregarded as the information did not emanate from the union.

He added that the union did not have an official Twitter handle.

“Someone or some people have created a Twitter handle that they use to misinform Nigerians and we have responded to say we have nothing to do with that Twitter handle, that anything on that Twitter handle should be disregarded,” Ogunyemi said.

“We do not have an official Twitter handle, we have just protested to Twitter now, that the handle should be blocked because the Twitter handle does not belong to us and they have been using it to make statements in the name of ASUU.

“We do not have anything to do with that handle and we have every reason to suspect that the person or those who created that Twitter handle are fraudsters.

“Nigerians should be wary of them and they should not take seriously any information coming from that Twitter handle because we do have not one and we have not directed any anybody to release information on our behalf.”

He said the union is concerned about the plight of students and not out to destroy the education system.

He, however, said if the government failed to fulfill its part of the agreement, the union would resume its suspended strike “as deemed fit”.

“As far as our members are concerned, we are activating our Memorandum of Action by engaging the federal government to keep to their promises,” he said.

“Some of the agreements are already coming up, but some are still pending with respect to our Memorandum of Action and we will continue to do that and there is no continuation of any strike action for now.

“We are concerned about the plight of our students and we have gone back to intensify efforts to cover lost grounds.

“Our members have sacrificed their annual leave and those who are supposed to go on sabbatical, many of them have put on hold their sabbatical leave. This is to show our students and their parents and indeed all Nigerians that we are not out to destroy the system.

“Once we make a demand from government and government responds positively, we will not go any extra mile to put down the system, our interest is to build the system and we have always done that.”