By CHIDI NKWOPARA
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has expressed concern over the spate of political assassinations in the country.

ASUU President, Professor Ukachukwu A. Awuzie, made the lamentation in his post-National Executive Council, NEC, press briefing in Owerri.

He said: “Even the recurrent mass killings in Jos, widely portrayed as religious clash, have political undertones behind them.

“ASUU is disappointed by the helpless posture adopted by the federal government and the security agencies while innocent Nigerians are killed on a daily basis.”

It was the considered opinion of ASUU-NEC that such impunity not only disrupts the daily social and economic lives of citizens in the affected locations, but also undermined national unity and cohesion by deepening inter-ethnic discord and animosity.

“We call on Nigerian politicians and citizens to reject violence as a means of achieving any goal and report anyone engaged or conspiring in acts of violence. We urge the federal government and the security agencies to sit up by fulfilling their mandatory duties of providing individual and collective security for all Nigerians,” Awuzie pleaded.

Professor Awuzie recalled with grief that the provisions on funding requirements for revitalizing the Nigerian university system 2009-2011 had not been implemented.

“ASUU uses this medium to call on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on government to hasten the pace of implementation of the agreement it reached with ASUU to avert any crisis in the system,” Awuzie said.