Jonathan offers no plan to resolve ASUU crisis, says strike politicized

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday offered the clearest sign yet
that his administration was in no haste to resolve the three-month-old
strike by university lecturers, calling their demands "politicized"
and urging the lecturers to return to work for the sake of the
students.
On his fifth presidential media chat on the Nigerian Television
Authority, NTA, the president said the nation's bitter politics had
crept into the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and
was responsible for the refusal of the lecturers to suspend their
action despite the government's effort.
"In the past, they did not go this far when strikes were called off;
but now politics has gone into everything," the president said. He did
not elaborate when pressed further by a five-member interview panel on
his claim about ASUU demands being politicized.
Mr. Jonathan said his administration had made concessions for the
strike to be resolved, and has demonstrated remarkable commitment to
addressing the massive infrastructure in the universities, one of the
key demands ASUU has made.
He said the lecturers have refused to accept the government's
explanations that broad range reforms cannot be achieved instantly.
"ASUU strike is very very unfortunate," Mr Jonathan, himself a former
lecturer, said. He said crisis in education, in developing countries
would always continue.
The president said the biggest indication to his government's
commitment to such reforms was the decision to catalogue the perennial
rot afflicting all the universities.
"Throughout this time, no government has taken inventory of all the
problems in federal and state universities," the president said. "We
said this must change. But it cannot change overnight. So for ASUU to
go on strike over infrastructure, they need to understand that we are
serious about intervening starting with N100 billion."
The president's remarks on the strike was his first since lecturers
downed tools in June, asking for improved pay and better funding for
universities. They vowed not to resume until the government fully
implements the last agreement both sides reached in 2009.
The lecturers have vowed not to accept partial implementation of the
agreement, with multiple intervention by the Senate and the House of
Representatives stalemated.
The government said the challenges of improved funding requires more
time, and claims it has made concessions by providing initial funding.
As the negotiations deadlock, millions of students have remained
stranded at home with each claim of quick resolution to the crisis
turning out unrealistic.
Mr Jonathan's comments on Sunday provided the strongest indication
yet, that, save a change in decision, students will remain at home
longer as the crisis stretches without a resolution.
Asked specifically what the way forward would be for the strike, the
president said he was calling on the lecturers to resume work for the
sake of the Nigerian children and to realize that the government was
committed to improving education.
He said the 2009 agreement which ASUU has harped upon, was negotiated
by officials incapable for such a responsibility as the agreement was
"not implementable".
"Even if we have all the money in the world we cannot change things
overnight," he said. "The members of ASUU are our brothers and
sisters, they should look at these young people and look at the
commitment of govt."