The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Jos chapter, has called on the Federal Government to tackle the rising security challenges and economic hardship in the country.

The chairman of the union, Assoc. Prof. Jurbe Molwus, said this at a news conference on Friday in Jos.

Molwus blamed the increasing poverty among Nigerians on some government policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.

”The famous subsidy removal and the floating exchange rate have translated into hyper-inflation, noticeable in higher commodity pricing, among others.

”The quality of life of ordinary Nigerians has declined, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is expanding on a daily basis,” he said.

The chairman called on the federal government to accelerate the process of arriving at a minimum wage as demanded by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

He advised the government to urgently review all economic policies that are increasingly degrading the quality of life in Nigeria.

Molwus called on the federal government to implement all agreements reached with ASUU over the years before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued by its National Executive Council.

He said that failure to implement the agreements within the stipulated time may result in a full blown industrial action by the union. NAN