By Patrick Obia
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has affirmed that come October 12 slated for schools resumption in the country, public universities will remain on closed.
The Chapter Chairman of ASUU, Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH, Dr. Emmanuel Ettah made the assertion as a guest on Correct 97.3 FM, Calabar, morning show (Wednesday) maintained that, come 12 October 2020 when schools will be reopened as directed by the Federal Government, public universities will remain shutdown until Federal Government succumbs.
He said, “It is high time parents begin to question the integrity of the Federal Government on matters of Education. It is not a strategy that we just want to punish students, but to draw the attention of people that there is a problem in our educational system; if Government will not give us nothing in this country, they should give us quality Education. We have being in talks with Government since two years and they are not doing anything, strike is the last resort.
“They are saying we should return on the 12, the simple trick is that they want private universities to open so that their children can go to school not because they want public universities to open, and I bet you, you will see private universities will open, public universities will remain on strike.”
Also, the University of Calabar Chapter Chairman of ASUU, Comrade Edor Edor had on Hit 95.9 FM Breakfast Show shared same views as his Comrade in CRUTECH.
He said COVID-19 pandemic has come to expose the ineptitude of the President Buhari led administration as it concerns attention of Education sector in the country, noting that one of their demand revitalization of the Education sector.
“Universities these days are established as a matter of political settlement, both State Governors and Federal Government does the same thing as a matter of political settlement not as a matter of capacity and abilities to fund those universities, that is not the understanding of Education, you do not do it as a matter of political settlement; you create a university of cattle rearing just to settle people? When you know you can not even fund it.
“The Federal government of Nigeria, our politicians, our leaders have no interest in our Education sector not that they do not have the capacity.
ASUU have been on an indefinite strike since March 2020, a situation which the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba yesterday urged members of the Union to leave the teaching profession and consider going into farming, stressing that more farmers are needed in the country.