ASUU strike: police disrupts rally by Uniabuja lecturers
(Nigeria) The police on Wednesday disrupted a peaceful rally by
members of Academic Staff Union of
University, ASUU, University of Abuja Chapter, in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital
Territory.
Dr Clement Chuks, ASUU Chairman, Uniabuja chapter, said the
rally was organised to sensitise the public to the level of decay of
infrastructure in Nigerian universities.
The heavily armed policemen, fired teargas on the demonstrating
lecturers, barricaded all entrances leading to the university and prevented
other members from joining the rally.
One of the lecturers was rushed to the University Teaching
Hospital for treatment after he inhaled the teargas.
Some of the lecturers carried placards with inscriptions; ``
ASUU is fighting for the good future of Nigerian children and the nation,’’
``Support ASUU to save university education in Nigeria’’.
``Implement 2009 agreement, we do not want to teach under trees
again,’’ ``2009 agreement is the key for producing quality graduates’’ among
others.
According to Chuks, the rally is also to draw the attention
of the public to the Federal Government’s inability to address critical issues
surrounding the education sector.
Chuks stressed the need for the Federal Government to inform
Nigerians on the true position of things regarding the strike.
``The essence of the protest is to sensitise the public on
government’s inability to honour the 2009 agreement, we will continue the
struggle until the government says yes to us, stopping our salaries will not
solve the problem. Our demand is that our universities should be made to
compete with others in the world,’’ he said.
Chuks decried the action of the police in the protest.
Commenting on the rally, the Divisional Police Officer,
Gwagwalada, Mr Tony Okon, said the presence of policemen at the campus, was to
protect innocent citizen against hoodlums.
``Shooting of teargas was to prevent hoodlums from joining
the protest so that they do not take advantage of the situation and cause any
damage’’ Okon said.
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