Renowned Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) on Sunday urged the Federal Government to sign the renegotiated agreement with the striking members of the Academic Strike Union of University (ASUU) without further delays.
Falana who made the call in a statement urged both ASUU leadership and the president Muhammadu Buhari-led government to resume negotiations to for the sake of the Nigerian students bring to an end the long-standing strike.
Meanwhile, the senior Advocate of Nigeria alleged that the Federal Government was resorting to blackmail ASUU, noting how that talks with the union ended in deadlock, thus dashing the hope of many Nigerian students.
“Instead of engaging in the diversionary tactics of blackmailing ASUU the Federal Government should ensure that the strike is called off by signing the Renegotiated Agreement with ASUU without any further delay,” Falana said.
“While calling on both sides to resume the negotiations in the interest of the country the Federal Government should be prevailed upon to end the prolonged industrial action.”
“The Federal Government should commit itself to the faithful implementation of collective agreements reached with ASUU which are enforceable by virtue of the relevant provisions of the Trade Disputes Act instead of embracing the fascist option of prescribing union.”
Citing the 1992 and 2009 FG/ASUU Agreements, he said, “it was expressly stated that the revenue realised from the sale of the properties of the Federal Government abandoned in Lagos when the Federal Capital was moved to Abuja would be channelled towards the funding of tertiary education in the country.”
He added that the Federal Government has turned around to selling the properties to private individuals and corporate bodies at low giveaway prices.
Also, he said some of the properties, were sold to powerful individuals and corporate bodies including a multinational corporation.
Falana argued that a number of the properties have not been sold adding that Federal Government should turn them over to the universities in line with the terms of the FG/ASUU Collective Agreements.