ASUU flays Obasanjo & FG over decay in education

[Richard Akindele]

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Government of being insensitive to the efforts being made by the union to restore the fallen standard of education in the country.

To this end, the union has urged all; stakeholders in the sector, including parents, students and the International Community to hold the government responsible in the event of any instability in the system.


Briefing newsmen in Owerri yesterday, the Coordinator of the ASUU in Owerri zone, comprising Federal University of Technology, Owerri, the Imo State University, Rivers State University for Science and Technology and the University of Port-Harcourt, Dr. Samuel Nzota expressed dismay that Nigerian universities have deteriorated to the extent of taking back seat in the commity of universities in the world.


Nzota said that apart from the dilapidated infrastructure in the Nigerian universities, the condition of service in the country is equally unattractive, resulting in the production of half baked graduates.


"It's unfortunate, that we don't have the necessary facilities with which to do our job well, Nigerian academics are the least paid in the world. Why should the Federal Government not implement the mandatory 26% budgetary allocation to the sector as provided by UNESCO.


"There are internationally accepted standard for managing the sector, and until we fall in line with those standards, we'll continue to produce graduates who can not read and write, we'll continue to produce half baked graduates", Nzota who was flanked by the ASUU leaders from all the universities in the zone, including Dr. Efemini Andrew (UNIPORT), Mrs. Jaja Emylia of Rivers University, Akan Essien (FUTO).


The union also expressed dismay that the Federal Government has refused to enter into a re-negotiation with them on certain agreements, stressing government had rather preffered to embark on token measures to alleviate the devastated educational sector.


They also said that government has flagrantly disobeyed a High Court Ruling ordering the reinstatement of the sacked UNILORIN Lecturers, adding that they might be forced to embark on a warning strike if the situation remained unch-anged.


Source: Thisday