The Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, have jointly condemned the ongoing indefinite strike embarked upon by thee Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Secretary-General of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Federal State Universities in Nigeria, Professor Michael Faborode, spoke on behalf of the group and urged the Federal Government and ASUU to resolve the crisis.
He said: “At the 59th meeting of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Federal, State and Private Universities held on Thursday, 18th July, 2013, at the Nigerian Turkish Nile University (NTNU), Abuja, the ongoing national strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was extensively deliberated upon.
“The association noted that the strike action was crippling the education system in Nigeria, and portraying the system and the country in bad light to the global community.
“The association therefore appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to expeditiously reach an amicable solution on the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, so as to restore normal academic activities in Nigerian university system.”
The vice chancellors also spoke strongly against plagiarism, which is fast becoming a trend among students and lecturers in Nigerian universities.
“It urged its members to continue to uphold the extant traditions of the academic system,” he added.
“It was observed in particular that, the association, by collectively subscribing to the TURN-IT-IN anti-plagiarism services at a considerable cost, has taken appropriate steps to uphold article 9.2 i&ii of the Declaration, aimed at combating widespread plagiarism in our universities, by authenticating the originality of all academic publications for the sake of credibility of the system.
“Members extolled the virtues of the anti-plagiarism package within a short time of its usage, and projected that indolent and lazy academics and students, who denigrate the system with their inordinate ambition and sharp practices, no longer have any hiding place, as the service would fish them out for appropriate sanction.
“Plagiarism is one of the most heinous misdemeanours in the academic system”.
Over 50 vice chancellors and deputies attended the meeting.