Strike: We want to save our varsities from rot, ASUU tells parents, students

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called on parents
and students to show understanding in repositioning and saving the
country’s university system from total collapse.

The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made the
appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on
Thursday.

NAN reports that university lecturers had on November 5,
embarked on strike, demanding for the implementation of the 2009
agreement it entered into with the Federal Government.

The lecturers are also calling for the full implementation of
the Memorandum of Action agreement with the Federal Government in
2017; improved working conditions and welfare package; and upgrade
of facilities in universities across the country.

According to Ogunyemi, the strike is not to short-change neither
the students nor the parents and other key stakeholders but to save
the country’s university system from collapse.

“We want to call on our students and parents to show
understanding with our struggle as we are in this together.

“The whole essence of this struggle is to ensure that our
students get worthy and deserving certificates that they will be
proud of anywhere they may find themselves in the world.

“The struggle is to ensure that we save Nigerian universities
from going the way our public primary and secondary schools have
gone.

“Today, most parents are sending their children and wards to
private primary and secondary schools around the country because of
the perceived or alleged falling standards.

“We do not want our universities to go same way because a lot of
our parents may not be able to afford the private university
fees,’’ he said.

The ASUU boss added that there was an urgent need for both the
Federal and State Governments to reconsider their approach toward
the development of universities in the country, to avoid an
outright collapse in the near future.

“The sad thing now is that the World Bank is giving funds to
some private universities to thrive over public universities.

“Unless Nigerians rise to the occasion and join ASUU in putting
pressure on both the Federal and State Governments to pay adequate
attention to our universities, secondary and primary schools, we
may be facing a total collapse of our educational sector, ‘’
Ogunyemi said.

He noted that university students might be staying longer at
home as no concrete resolution had been reached with the Federal
Government so far.

Ogunyemi said that representatives of the union met with the
Federal Government on Monday, November 26 but that the meeting
ended in a deadlock.

“We met on Monday in order to reach an agreement on the key
issues we are agitating for but nothing tangible came out of the
meeting.

“Rather than come out with firm commitment on what to do about
these demands, they were appealing to us to go back to the
classrooms while they tackle the issues; and to us they have missed
the point.

“We were told that the negotiation will continue on Friday,
November 30 but up till now, as we speak, I have not received any
notice of meeting to that effect,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the ASUU first met with the Federal Government
on November 15 to deliberate on the issues.

(NAN)

Related