The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka zone has stressed the need for Nigeria’s economy to be driven by the interest of the majority working masses instead of the few capitalists holding sway to the detriment of the poverty-stricken citizens.
This is contained in a Communique issued by the body and signed by its communique drafting committee’s chairman, Prof. Mike Odugbo Odey and Secretary, Dr. Elijah Terdoo Ikpanor at a symposium held weekend at the Benue State University in Makurdi.
"We must wage a new patriotic struggle for political and economic independence of Nigeria from the two vultures. Nigeria’s working people must take their country back by declaring that the masses, not a few rich and their foreign masters, own Nigeria," the statement reads in part.
The union posited at the symposium which was an activity of the Centre for Popular Education (CEPED) programme with the theme, "Nee-liberalism and Restructuring Agenda: Between the Nigerian Ruling Class and the Masses," that the prevailing situation had brought about lack of unity as could be seen in the secessionists and separatists agitations from different regions of the country for restructuring.
According to the communique, the submissions were about the equitable distribution of resources to deemphasize the calls for geographical restructuring and therefore called on the working class, labour movements and intellectuals in Nigeria to be committed to and confront the problem of manipulation of ethnoRs reilgious sentiments, growth of inequality, poverty and corruption among others.
It added, "our movement must insist that to wipe out poverty, inequality, illiteracy, violence and crimes, Nigeria’s economy needs planning and with market mechanisms controlled by the interest of the masses of Nigeria’s working people. All of Nigeria’s public assets that were looted through what they call privatisation, concessioning, Public-Private Partnership, etc. must be taken back from the looters."
