By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
Worried by the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a former Registrar, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Chief Alex Olu Ajayi, has urged Nigerians to rather blame the FG for not honouring its agreements with the Union and for embarking on indiscriminate establishment of universities that the government is financially incapacitated to fund.
Ajayi, also ex-Registrar of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), attributed the nationwide strike by the (ASUU) to the federal government’s insincerity and low interest in education of Nigerians.
Ajayi spoke in Ado-Ekiti,the Ekiti State capital on Sunday, while being conferred with the ‘Fellowship Award’ by All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPSS) Veterans,Ekiti chapter, led by its Chairman, Sir Lawrence Eegunjobi, to mark Ajayi’s 91st birthday.
Lamenting on the closure of all Nigerian public universities as disheartening and portraying the FG as being insensitive, Ajayi said: “The federal Government is to blame. It has allowed enthusiasm of establishing universities supersedes the reality of funding and what it can cope with. It has bitten more than it can chew.
“The federal government must understand that with proliferation of universities, there will be inadequacies, particularly funding. Anytime there is expansion, there is always deterioration if care is not taken and that is what we are experiencing in our universities.
“ASUU had made its points, but it should sheath its sword and listen to Nigerians and call off hoping that they will fight another day.
“The reality is that, in 2009 when they reached some of the agreements , there was nothing like COVID 19 and the value of naira was better. No war threatening the world economy like Russia/Ukraine. Therefore, ASUU should call off in the interest of Nigerians, because education is a call for sacrifice”.
Addressing the ANCOPPS Veterans, Ajayi described the honour as an impetus for him to contribute more to scholarship, particularly coming from those who had spent their productive years building education sector, saying what the country needs most is strong and standard education that requires the contributions of all.
The Chairman of the Association, Sir Eegunjobi, described the awardee as a Colossus in education sector, being the first university graduate in Ado Ekiti metropolis and former OAU and WAEC’s Registrar at different times.
“Chief Ajayi worth being celebrated, being the former Registrar of a reverred university and WAEC. So we must tap from his fountain of Knowledge in Ekiti like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was to Ogun State”.
Speaking on the reason behind the formation of the association, Eegunjobi said it was a drive targeting at ensuring that the goal of secondary school education is met, by playing advisory role to strengthen pre-university education.
“Our mission as experienced retired educationists is to be major stakeholders in secondary education and make recommendations to government on how best to solve the problems bedeviling secondary education in Nigeria.
“We are also assisting the headship of secondary schools and government, by suggesting policies that can bring about smooth running of secondary schools across the state,” he stated.
