SPN SUPPORTS ASUU’S DEMANDS FOR REVATALISATION OF UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

We blame FG for the planned ASUU strike!

The inability of the successive regimes to honour the 2009 Agreement reached with ASUU is an indictment on Capitalism and calls for a workers and poor government run on a socialist programme

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) condemns in totality the failure of the successive governments to honour the 2009 Agreement reached with the members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. The possibility is high that this Agreement, if genuinely implemented, would greatly alleviate the rots bedevilling the Nigerian university system.

We therefore call on Buhari-led Federal government, FG, to implement the agreement with ASUU in order to avert throwing universities into crisis including school closure. Government should also implement the agreements reached with other staff unions in the education sector.

However, it is worthy to note that the refusal to implement the Agreement by the Buhari-led government, just like its predecessors, is because it fundamentally subscribes to neo-liberal capitalist programme and agenda. So to implement the agreement it has to be forced through determined and united struggle of workers in the university system with an active support of students and general public.

It is in the recognition of this fact that we of the SPN throw our weight behind the ASUU’s decision to embark on a nationwide strike to demand the implementation of the said agreement. We also commend the union for its prompt commencement of practical and strategic mobilisation of its members and mass sensitisation of the public in preparation for the take-off of the planned action. However, while we recognise that the said agreement was signed with ASUU alone, we urge for an effort to carry along other unions and students within and outside the University system as part of the preparation for the planned action.

Again, the planned action shouldn’t be limited to just sit at home of members but also include other activities like street protests, town hall meetings, public symposia with massive circulation of leaflets and posters across the country in order to draw more public support for the struggle.

We also call on the ASUU leadership to link this struggle to an effort towards the process of building a mass pro-working people political party on a socialist program. It’s only this kind of political party with organisational and political structures across the country that can wrestle political power from the thieving capitalist ruling elite and resolve the problems of poor funding and lack of democratic management and control currently bedevilling public education including the university system and begin to reconstruct the society in the interest of the workers and poor.

Abiodun Bamigboye

Acting National Chairperson

Chinedu Bosah

National Secretary

E-mail: [email protected]