Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna Central constituency at the National Assembly has backed the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU fo
Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna Central constituency at the National Assembly has backed the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU for embarking on an indefinite strike action. In a Facebook Post, Sani wrote, “First, I wholeheartedly support ASUU strike. Secondly, I call on the executive to dialogue and meet up the demands of the Union. Thirdly, the need to declare emergency on the state of public universities, polytechnic and colleges of education is now.”
In another posts still on the ASUU matter the lawmaker wrote, ”Giving some children the best of education and denying some children same is aimed at entrenching and sustaining a political, social and economic dynasty of class order. Those whose children are in Oxford should think about those whose children are in Oyo. Those whose children are in Yale should think about those whose children are in Yola and Yaba. Those whose children are in Cambridge should think about those whose children are in Kaduna.
“Those whose children are in Arkansas should think about those whose children are in Akoka. Those whose children are in Princeton should think about those whose children are in Port Harcourt. Those whose children are in Eaton should think about those whose children are in Enugu. If you don’t see anything wrong when leaders flash the images of their siblings matriculation or graduation ceremonies in some of the world’s most prestigious or elitist universities, you shouldn’t see anything wrong with ASUU strike and demand for a better deal for Nigerian Universities.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, ASUU had on Monday announced the commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike due to the Federal Government’s failure to fulfill the 2009 agreement made with the union. Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, President of the union said the decision to embark on the industrial action was resolved at its emergency National Executive Council meeting held on Aug. 12.
According to him, during the ASUU strike, “There shall be no teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings of any kind in any of our branches till government meets the union’s demands. The foundation of development of any nation lies on its attention to education. No nation can grow beyond the level of its educational development. Any genuine move to transform Nigeria into an economically viable and politically stable country must begin with a firm commitment to an all round transformation of the country’s education.
”ASUU has been vociferous on the primacy of the university education system because it is the repository of ideas for invention, innovation and national transformation. It is, however, disappointing that despite the prime importance of university education, the political class in Nigeria has continued to pay mere lip-service to addressing to lose the little gains achieved from the struggles of ASUU,’’ he said.
The ASUU president stated that the Wale Babalakin-led committee set up by the Federal Government lacked the powers to resolve the issue as there were unimplemented items in the 2009 agreement. He said that government had ignored the system, stressing that the political class had also shifted attention to sending their wards to private universities and universities abroad leaving public universities in Nigeria to collapse.
”Among the issues in current disputes involved in the 2009 agreement and 2013 MOU are funding for the revitalisation of public universities and earned academic allowances. Others include registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), University staff school, fractionalisation and nonpayment of salaries,’’ Ogunyemi said.
