Seek Other Ways of Engaging Govt, Group Tells ASUU
Adedayo Akinwale
A rights group, the Office of the Citizen of Federal Republic of Nigeria, has warned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) against incessant strikes, saying that it is having a negative impact on the education system.
The group stated that ASUU must consider another means of engaging the government in driving home its demands since the federal government overtime has shown nonchalant attitude towards strikes.
The convener of the group, Pelumi Olajengbesi, who disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja said, “ASUU should begin to consider other means of engaging government in making its demands so that we can have a society that is sane.” He noted that despite UNESCO report recommending that every developing nation should budget 25 per cent of annual budget for education, the Nigerian government has not done enough in terms of prioritising education.
“Unfortunately, every year we find a situation whereby the budget for education is reducing by the day. All the infrastructural development being put in place by the government would be destabilised by the army of uneducated youths in the country. The federal government must prioritise education, but it is also important to caution the leadership of ASUU,” Olajengbesi said. He regretted that ASUU has not been complying with the requirement of the law, adding that the position of the law is clear in Section 41 of the trade dispute Act, which states that before any union or organisation would proceed on strike, such organisation should give a notice of 14 days to the government or agency concerned.
“Unfortunately, ASUU as a union must learn to respect the rules and regulations, if you are making demand you should do that within the confine of the law. We are appealing to government and ASUU to resolve the issue on time.
“We must also be worried that some of these people who are graduating from universities are joining the colony of unemployed. We are in a society where there is no adequate plan for these people after leaving universities. Yet we are frustrating them, we are damping there morale, we are making them so irresponsible. When we keep these ones out of the school system we expose them to a society where criminality is being encouraged,” he said.