The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Saturday said that the 2023 general elections approaches, Nigerians should be ready to ask the right questions and refuse to be bought over to vote for the wrong candidates who will further condemn them to poverty.
Ayoola Akinwole, chairperson, ASUU, University of Ibadan branch in a message on the occasion of the 2022 Workers’ Day said “Nigeria is in dire need of purposeful leadership which do not have to be from any region of the country.
For the first time in the history of this country, let us select leaders on the basis of competence not on mere rotation. Nigeria needs a leader who can protect its citizens and rid the land of injustices.
Wile calling on all workers to rise up against the system that has turned them into slaves in their country he stated that “Nigerian workers should say no to the system that has turned Nigeria into a mass graveyard.
It is time to stop the political class from their arrogant perpetuation of evil against the good people of Nigeria, the resources available in Nigeria can be harnessed to cater for the needs of the people noted more investment should be put in human capital to develop the areas comparative advantage so as to compete in an interdependent world.
According to Akinwole, the present administration has failed Nigerians in the following ways: on non-implementation of minimum wage policy of the government by all the states; Inappropriate payment platform of salary which denies workers the opportunity to plan for the future;
Embargo on employment in federal Universities has turned workers to slaves; workers have become hopeless because there is no succession plan; High level of insecurity has negatively affected safety of life and properties;
Political instability in Nigeria – more than ever before this government polarized the country along religion and ethnicity;
Others he stated included, citizenships in the Nigerian state has been compromised due to wrong attitude of government that does not see the need to promote integration; the current administration lacks the capacity to unite the country and provide needed forum for the future; and youth have become negatively aggressive and have given in to moral lapses.
“We therefore salute ASUU members who are once again subjected to the instrument of hunger, especially at the recent festive periods of Lenten/Easter season and Ramadan fast. ASUU remain the only Union on legitimate struggle whose members’ salaries have been stopped. Two months now without salaries, and still counting!
ASUU however demanded a living wage for the Nigerian workers and call on all workers to unite to bring an end to the evil dispensation that is threatening to consume everyone.
“Again, we call on workers not to allow this government to turn them against fellow workers in order to misrule us. Sustainable peace will only be possible when it is established on distributive justice and fairness to all.
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“The leadership of ASUU-UI wishes to salute the Nigerian worker on this day when workers are given voice all over the world. Increasingly, the intended celebratory notes of Workers’ Day in Nigeria have turned into a day of lamentation when dirges are song to fallen workers who have died in their numbers from poverty; as a result of unpaid wages, kidnapping for ransom, and unsustainable remuneration.
“On this day, we observe moments of silence for the Nigerian people and workers who have been victims of terrorism and brutality of the ruling administration. We stand still for women and girls who are victims of rape and sexual enslavement.
Today, we remember the thousands of Nigerians who have been buried in mass and unmarked graves, with no opportunity by family and loved ones to bid them farewell; we share the grief of parents who are in mourning over their dead and missing children.
“It is sad to note that in the face of the enduring grief and hopelessness of Nigerians, the political class is in a frenzy of political carnivals. God shall indeed judge the wicked.
“We salute the Nigerian workers whether in the formal, organized, public, private or informal sectors, for enduring the current affliction of mass poverty. We are all collectively victims of internal slavery meted out on us by our own people who have organized themselves into bands of political thieves and violence merchants, religious and cultural entrepreneurs and tribal elite warlords.
We call on all Nigerians not to be deceived by their antics which is to keep us divided, fighting spurious battles while they engage in a feeding frenzy of looting of our common patrimony.
Our only enemy, our common adversary is the ruling class. They are our kit and kins, they exist in all the political parties, they run the affairs of the nation and are united in one common purpose of rapacious corruption, power-mongering and violent subjugation of the state for the propagation of their evil agenda.
“We call on the Federal Government to follow the path of honour and integrity by implementing its agreements with ASUU. It is instructive that the Minister of Labour and Minister of State for Education who are critical to the resolution of the ongoing dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria have abandoned their offices to engage in a campaign for the Presidential tickets of their party.
Isn’t this instructive about the kind of leaders they will be if they become presidents? Moreover, Nigerians need to ask how they raised one hundred million naira for party forms given the fact that their legitimate earnings from actual work done by both of them do not amount to the sum of the ticket if accumulated over five years.
