The Provost of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Prof. Adeyemi Idowu, has described the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities as worrisome and unfortunate.
He called on the Federal Government to meet with members of ASUU with a view to resolving the crisis.
Idowu made the appeal while speaking with journalists shortly after the commendation service for the late former Provost of the institution, Prof. Babatunde Ipaye, which was organised by members of the ACE chapter of the College of Education Academic Staff Union.
He noted that it was imperative for the government to accede to ASUU’s demands in order to end the strike, which started on July 1, for the sake of the students and development of education.
“It is painful when a union would like to resort to strike as the last option. I believe that the government should ensure we do not have strikes. Definitely, it kills initiatives in students because there is now a lacuna between the time they left school and the time they would resume again; they have to start almost all over again.
“The government, as the financier of our educational sector, should have ensured that such strikes are not allowed to happen.
“ASUU would tell you that they had given enough notice about the strike, and if such notice goes out, government should try as much as possible to take them seriously before it gets to a stage they will start the industrial action.
“Strikes in tertiary institutions are repressive to the educational development of the country. So, there is a need for the government to resolve the crisis.
“I plead with the government to listen to them; these people are reasonable people. If the government meets with them and meets at least three quarters of their demands, I am sure the lecturers will forgo the remaining one quarter and call off the strike,” Idowu said.
