The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has claimed that no government has released money to improve the standard of public universities without the input of the union.

The union made this disclosure on Thursday.

ASUU explained that if the union fails to fight for a better university system, the future of the country will be in jeopardy.

ASUU Chairman at the University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Akinwole, while featuring on a program of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) monitored by Naijacrawl, insisted that no government in Nigeria has willingly released money for the university system without the strikes of ASUU.

Akinwole enjoined Nigerians not to be deceived by the antics of the federal government over the ongoing payment of minimum wage arrears.

He said apart from the fact that the federal government is yet to provide concrete responses to the reasons why it went on strike, those paid the consequential adjustment of their minimum wage are legally entitled to have been paid since April 2019.

Akinwole, who spoke further, said it was sad for the federal government to want to deceive Nigerians as if it had been responding to issues leading to the ongoing strike.

He said the ongoing strike is still a comprehensive one.

“We don’t like strikes, but we would have explored all peaceful means and lobbied several stakeholders to intervene."

“We are on strike because all peaceful means have failed and struggle has to start to fight for the system and our livelihoods."

“If we are only after our pockets alone, the strike may not last, but ASUU is more interested in a sustainable working environment and conditions of learning for Nigerian students.”