With the announcement of the twelve-week extension of the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a student body, the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Committee (NANS JCC), Osun axis has sent a strong warning signal to the Federal Government.
The student body berated the Federal Government over the prolonged ASUU strike which has paralysed academic activities on campuses across the country for over two months.
In a jointly signed press statement by the trio of Afeez Oyewole, Abeebulah Salaudeen and Sulaimom Adekanmi, Chairman, General Secretary and Public Relations Officer, respectively, the student body alleged that the action of the Federal Government was worrisome.
The group, which accused the Federal Government of displaying lackadaisical attitude towards the ASUU strike, added that the purchase of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination form worth N100,000,000 by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba while the university sector was shut down, portrayed the government as ignoble and unpatriotic.
The statement explained that, “the effect of the strike has been devastating to the university education by watering down the quality of university education in Nigeria, thereby compounding the problem of students’ poor academic performance, unwanted programme period elongation, numerous students dropping out of institutions, psychological adverse effects on students and economic effects on students and the nation at large.
“It is no more news as it has become a matter of general concern that the ongoing ASUU strike has reached the 11th week, where no concrete or palpable plan has been put in place by the government on a proper way of putting an end to the strike. This speaks volume of how less important education is to the present day government.
“However, any country that is ready to compete in terms of general development with other countries of the world must put every mechanism in place to ensure citizens are provided with a qualitative and sound education, which would, in turn, have a positive impact on the growth and development of such a nation.
“It is appalling, regrettable, and worrisome that the Federal Government has taken unquantifiable solace in shattering, bastardizing, and degrading her educational system. This can be deduced from how the Minister of State for Education, with every sense of temerity, purchased APC presidential form worth a hundred million naira (N100,000,000) while the student community is still experiencing a retrogressive strike. This could be best regarded as an ignoble and unpatriotic act.
“As student leaders, we understand perfectly that leadership is taking responsibility not making excuses. A working federal government would never have any excuse for incessant ASUU strike, as the government is also aware that the said strike does more harm than good to Nigeria’s Education sector.”
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