The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been urged to sheathe their swords for the interest of the students.
Unity Project of Nigeria (UPN) and former chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reconsider its decision to join the ongoing strike by ASUU, saying such action would not be in the interest of the Nigerian masses, especially students.
Speaking through its leader, Igwekala Leo Ugomaduefule, UPN implored ASUU to take pity on teeming Nigerian undergraduates who have been at home for the past three months, saying the unfortunate situation is the handiwork of “the same opposition politicians that vowed to make President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration ungovernable”.
The group warned that Nigeria is gradually descending to “the Abacha era when the Kokori-led strike action brought government and the nation to a standstill”.
According to the group, “When the ASUU commenced their strike action early in the year, many concerned, patriotic, unsuspecting Nigerians had identified wholeheartedly with their action.
“After all, on the face of it all, the ASUU was patriotically advocating a fundamental reform of the Nigerian educational system, viz: massive development of the infrastructure of the university institution, updating, restructuring, and reformation of facilities, to enhance tuition and modernize methodologies for development of know-how; in other words, repositioning higher education capacity-wise, to meet the challenges of development in a modern age.”
Ribadu spoke on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, during the public presentation of a book, Compendium of Nigeria’s Laws on Corruption, Economic and Financial Crimes, written a legal practitioner and Rivers Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Chuma Chinye.
“Let me join other well-meaning Nigerians to call on the Federal Government and ASUU to bring the lingering industrial action to an end. Nobody wins always. The students are the ones paying for this face-off. Talents are being wasted as the strike goes on. I appeal to both sides to amicably resolve the issue.
“It is true that our universities need funding, but in pressing for that, we have to trade with caution. If we don’t take time, our education is dead. Please, consider our children and make sacrifices,” the former EFCC boss stated.
