With the strike by research institutes now four-month-old and that by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) now one-month-old, both the ASUU and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have asked the government to face reality of a decay and declare a state of emergency on education in the country.
In separate addresses to journalists, Chairman, ASUU, University of Ibadan branch, Professor Ayoola Akinwole, and Deputy Coordinator, NANS, South-West zone, Mr Alao John bemoaned the laissez-faire attitude of the Federal Government towards the prolonged strike by educational institutions and research institutes.
SEE ALSO: Embrace Dialogue With ASUU, Vice-chancellors Tell FG
In his own address, Professor Ayoola Akinwole decried that the Federal Government continued to sabotage rather than implement the already renegotiated 2009 agreement.
He faulted any renegotiation of the 2009 agreement noting that what is imperative is for the Federal Government to implement the latest Memorandum of Agreement signed with the union on December 23, 2020.
Akinwole said the Federal Government was playing pranks with ASUU and was adopting a piecemeal solution through part payment of the earned academic allowance, inadequate disbursement of revitalization funds rather than fully implementing all outstanding provisions of the agreement reached with the union in December 2020.
Akinwole emphasized that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) developed by ASUU was a cost-effective alternative to check corruption and preserve the autonomy of Nigerian Universities.
This is as he added that the ASUU wanted the mainstreaming of Earned Academic Allowances into the annual federal budget and the release of the white papers on visitation panels sent to federal universities.
“It is never too late for the government to make it an urgent point of duty to solve the problem of university education and not think that it will just pass away. It will be getting worse if nothing is done.
“Government should face the reality of the decay and declare a state of emergency on the poor condition of public university in Nigeria and give it what is due to it. Government should stop this isolationism and embrace holistic solutions to public university education.
Click Here For Latest Updates On Telegram 👉 https://t.me/doreyepic
“It is true that Nigeria has never been such a great economic success story but the current decline and anomie in our public universities was not on the scale that we see today.
“It is obvious by veritable evidence that the current political leaders and administration in Nigeria are paying lip service to public education, nay, the welfare of the common people and workers,” Akinwole said.
Source: Tribune FG
0 Comments