SENATE President, David Mark, has said
persistent strikes by members of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) is killing the educational system
in Nigeria.
This is as he said the Senate would
initiate legislative action to prevent
ASUU and other unions from embarking
on protracted strike.
Mark, who made this known in Abuja,
on Tuesday, frowned on the strike
embarked upon by ASUU, saying that it
had impacted negatively on the system.
The Senate president, who was
represented by Senator Solomon
Ganiyu at the first Conference of
National and State Assembly
Committees on Education, organised by
the Senate Committee on Education,
called on both ASUU and the Federal
Government to shift grounds.
“The persistent strikes by ASUU have
had tremendous impact on the quality
of our education system. It is becoming
necessary for us to initiate a legislative
solution to the problem.
“I call on the Federal Government,
members of ASUU and the 36 state
committees to urgently come to an
agreement, so that our students can
return to their schools,” he said.
Mark noted that the nation needed to
evolve a policy of keeping children in
school, especially the girl-child, to
minimise most of the societal problems
such as militancy, terrorism, insurgency,
prostitution and ignorance.
“Attention should be placed on
timeliness for completion of academic
programmes which, at the moment, are
usually delayed by strikes,” he said.
The minister overseeing Education
ministry, Mr Nyesom Wike, in his
remark on the occasion, disclosed that
the Federal Government, through the
Universal Basic Education Commission
(UBEC), had disbursed a total of N142
billion to states in the last three years.
He said the fund was to support the
provision of required infrastructure and
materials, as well as develop capacity in
basic education institutions across the
country.
Chairman, Senate Committee on
Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije,
who also bemoaned the decline in the
quality of education in the country, said
urgent steps must be taken to rescue
the sector from the morass.
He said the conference, with a theme:
“Transforming Nigeria’s Education
Sector: The Legislative Agenda,” was apt
and would provide opportunity for both
national and state lawmakers to
brainstorm on how to move the
education sector forward.
It’ll improve education —ASUU
ASUU president, Dr Nasir Fagge, on
Tuesday, said the current strike by
lecturers of public universities in the
country was a sacrifice for better things
to come.
Fagge told the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in Lagos that unless the deficits
in the education sector, especially the
university system, were addressed once
and for all, there would be no
development.
According to Fagge, it was regrettable
that the strike was protracted, adding
that the decision of ASUU to remain
adamant until its demands were fully
met could seem uncomfortable and
worrisome.
“I sincerely want to call on all
concerned, especially students and
parents, to bear with us, as well as join
hands with us in the struggle to right
the wrongs in our education sector
once and for all, for the good of us all
and that of the country.
“I know it is quite a difficult time for us,
but I also want to state that what we
are doing is for our own good, as well
as ensure that strikes become rare as a
weapon to get things done in our
system,” he said.
Fagge, however, lauded the supervising
education minister, Wike, for finding
time to meet with the executive
committee of ASUU and the committee
of vice chancellors and other
stakeholders for their concern.
Varsities’ll soon be reopened —NUC
boss
Executive Secretary of the National
Universities Commission (NUC),
Professor Julius Okojie, has said the
ongoing strike by ASUU will soon be
called off.
He said the Federal Government had
made steady progress to resolve the
crisis.
Okojie, speaking at an interactive
session with newsmen in Abuja, on
Tuesday, also lashed out at members of
ASUU calling for his sack, saying it was
unfair, going by his commitment to the
resolution of the impasse and
improvement of university education in
the country.
He reiterated that government was in
talks with the leadership of ASUU,
contrary to what members of the public
were made to believe that there was
breakdown in discussion.
On those calling for his removal, the
NUC boss said he had discharged his
duty as a regulator to the best of his
ability, giving the difficult terrain he had
to work with.
Police abort attempted protest at
UNILAG
An attempted protest by students of the
University of Lagos (UNILAG) was
aborted by men of the Nigeria Police on
Monday.
According to reports, armed policemen
blocked all entrances leading into the
Akoka campus to prevent the said
protest.
Heavily armed policemen in vans
numbering about 10 were seen at the
school gate on Tuesday.
The students, Nigerian Tribune
gathered, organised the foiled protest
to express their agitation over ASUU
strike, now in its third month, as well as
a call for the return of Student Union
Government (SUG) in the institution.
Reports gathered also indicated that
students of Lagos State University
(LASU) also attempted to join UNILAG
students in the protest.
Attempts to speak with the UNILAG
information officer, Mr Wale
Olasunmade, on the development
failed.
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