By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday asked the Federal Government to end the problem of injustice in Nigeria for the country to overcome the problem of insecurity.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the ASUU National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, stated that it was glaring that without finding a lasting solution to the issues of injustice in the land, Nigeria will continue to battle insecurity unless President Muhammadu Buhari administration addresses the problems of injustice in the country.
According to the ASUU President, it was the injustices being meted to Nigerians by the political class that resulted into having many Nigerians waging war against the country, adding that the injustices to Nigerians by the ruling class included destruction and neglect of public utilities such as education, roads, health and the high rate of unemployment.
“Justice is the only condition for peace in Nigeria. When there is an injustice there will not be peace. No country can be at peace or succeed in an atmosphere of oppression and injustice. No such country can foster a true sense of belonging” he said.
The ASUU President maintained that there will be no going back in the union’s determination to continue to fight against oppression in the academia by government against Education sector in Nigeria “as no country experiences peace where the majority are poor and exploited while the minority and in particular the political class feed fat on public money for their self aggrandizement and family”
Professor Ogunyemi stressed that it was unfortunate that the President Buhari government continues to allocate miserable money to fund education in Nigeria, saying
“oppression is found everywhere with daily denial of democratic rights to Nigerians by the political class and the agents of the state “via unlawful arrests, denial of freedom to associate, failure to keep lawful agreements, non-payment of salaries, allowances and pensions”.
“In view of the sad ubiquity of oppression in our nation–oppression is everywhere. However, the decision of the victimised group, UNILORIN 49 to establish a foundation to assist similarly victimised persons and groups is unique in the history of labour struggles in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the UNILORIN 49 Foundation, Professor Taiwo Oloruntoba Oju noted that “the so called war on corruption in the country cannot succeed in an atmosphere of social and economic injustice of jobless and unpaid citizens, of unpaid and oppressed workers and journalists, of uneducated and oppressed men and women and of marginalised and dehumanised citizenry.” Justice is the first condition for peace and development, he added.
