By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan The Education Rights Campaign has asked the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to stop threatening the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the
In the statement jointly signed by ERC Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac Ayobami and National Mobilisation Officer, Michael Lenin, it maintained that
the on going ASUU warning strike is meant to among others to correct the anomalies in the Nigeria education sector.
ERC pointed out that the ASUU dispute with the government centres on adequate funding, university autonomy and welfare of the lecturers, adding, ” specifically, this includes the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), funding of State Universities, non-payment of withheld salaries, check-offs and promotion arrears”.
The Education Rights Campaign stated ” we hold that the implementation of the demands of ASUU, together with democratic management, will improve funding and quality of university education. We therefore call on students, parents and working people in general to support the demands and the strike meant to force the government to implement them”.
” We wish to assert that no quality education can be gotten from schools where classrooms and lecture halls are not conducive for teaching and learning, libraries, computer centres and laboratories are ill-equipped, health facilities and other utilities are in shambles, and lecturers and other staffs are overworked and underpaid.” it said
ERC added, “unfortunately, while the issues of poor welfare because of underfunding of education have become fatal, and students are responding with protests, a purported President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) was quoted to have threatened ASUU that “whatever we are going to do to make sure we return to class is what we are going to do. And I assure you in the next 24-hours, you are going to see action around this country” according to news reports.
” This only further shows how disconnected the so-called leadership is from students some of whom already carrying placards in solidarity with ASUU’s demands. We of the ERC very much want students to return to classes immediately and that is why we call on the government to meet their demands immediately. However, students must not make mistake that the NANS leadership is genuinely defending the interest of students.”
It noted that ” in most cases, from past experiences, any struggle for them is a bargaining chip with the government for their own self-serving interest. It is not accidental that they do not fight for adequate funding of education and welfare of students on campuses.”.
” The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) blames the Buhari government for the one month strike action that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has had to embark upon starting from February 14. We acknowledge that the strike became inevitable following the refusal of the anti-poor government to implement agreements already signed with the Union and meet other legitimate demands. We call on the government to meet the demands of the strike immediately in order for students to return to classes rapidly.
” The dispute with the government centres on adequate funding, university autonomy and welfare of the lecturers. Specifically, this includes the renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), funding of State Universities, non-payment of withheld salaries, check-offs and promotion arrears”.
