The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called for a law placing restriction on public office holders from sending their children to foreign countries to study.
The Akure zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Olufayo Olu-Olu said such ban would put an end the persistent strike in Nigeria’s education sector.
Olu-Olu explained that if such a law is promulgated, it would help to rebuild Nigeria’s education sector.
A statement by Olu-Olu reads partly: “Members of the ruling class and their cohorts have their wards schooling abroad, so they do not commit to ending ASUU strike since the political office has become occupational rather than public service.
“Until we domesticate two very important practices as laws in Nigeria, we may not get out of this doldrums – first, an act to compel all public office holders and government appointees to have their wards educated in Nigeria public schools from primary to tertiary level.
“When this law is enacted, perhaps we will gradually see the end of needless ASUU strikes in the country.”
“Secondly, there should be an act to prohibit all political office holders, appointees and their dependents from seeking medical attention outside Nigeria.
“When these two laws are enacted, perhaps we will gradually see the end of needless ASUU strikes in the country.
“Until the government does the needful (our ivory towers properly funded, our withheld emoluments paid among other issues), the struggle continues.
“For the patriotic and hardworking Nigerian who desires a future for his/her children as well as building and developing this country, it has become imperative that you all call out the government to attend to issues apolitically and objectively to get the system running efficiently and effectively.”
ASUU explained that the union has been on strike for the past eight months over issues which has been ignored by successive governments in the country, adding that “the deplorable situation of our universities has grown from bad to worse since then.
“Lecture rooms are overcrowded and dilapidated, students hostels deplorable, departments are starved of operational requirements, physical structures are insufficient and there is no vote for capital projects. Of a fact, the trajectory of the public universities is negatively skewed, and for those who understand, this is ominous.”
The union said rather than attending to the rot in the schools, policy makers were busy feeding Nigerians with lies and advising academics to turn to farming.
“We have read with dismay, watched with exasperation as appointed ministers and technocrats of the federal republic feed the populace with lies.
“The scenario has become comical as three leading government representatives gave three different updated versions to the public,” the union stated.
Despite a meeting with government representatives last week, ASUU had vowed to continue with the strike until all demands are met.
However, there are speculations that ASUU zonal branches would meet by Friday to decide if they would call off or continue the strike.
