29th August, 2013
As the ongoing strike that has paralysed academic activities in the nation’s public universities enters day 60, there is urgent need for the government to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in order to end the crippling industrial action.
With no positive signs that the strike, which has kept students in public universities at home for many weeks, will end soon, a drastic step needs to be taken so as not to worsen the bad state of our educational sector.
Since ASUU is not making any fresh demand beyond the agreement it reached with the government in 2009, it beggars belief why four years after, the government is not ready to keep its side of the bargain.
ASUU is not asking for too much. The lecturers are calling for the release of the agreed N87 billion which represents their outstanding allowances, as well as funds for research and upgrading of infrastructure in various public institutions of higher learning.
But government seems to be disinterested in releasing this fund, giving excuses that it is cash-strapped and doesn’t have enough to meet all these demands.
Already, there have been calls on the Federal Government to reduce its profligacy and cut waste in its expenditure, especially the billions of naira it releases to the federal lawmakers annually. The Federal Government should listen to all these patriotic pleas.
Certainly, there can’t be any talk about national growth and development without adequately funding education. Therefore, the Federal Government needs to stop foot-dragging and end once and for all, its penchant for paying lip service to funding of education.