*Report by Mudasir Opeyemi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the proposed introduction of education loan which it says has proven to be a monumental failure in Nigeria and some other countries where it was introduced.
The union said it is troubled that the proponents of the policy are so eager to foist it down the throat of Nigerians when they have done more to push Nigerians into poverty through sheer incompetence in handling the economic fortunes of the nation.
ASUU made this known in a statement signed by its President Emmanuel Osodeke on Monday following its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which held at the University of Calabar.
The union,however, appreciated its members and their families for their resilience, assuring that their understanding and perseverance, in the face of hardship and provocation occasioned by government’s intransigence and insensitivity, shall be rewarded by posterity.
“NEC observed with concern the systematic disengagement of government from funding of Public Universities through the proposed introduction of education loan which has proven to be a monumental failure in our nation and some other countries where it was introduced,” the statement read
“We find it troubling that the proponents of the policy are so eager to foist it down the throat of Nigerians when they have done more to push the working people of this country into poverty through sheer incompetence in handling the economic fortunes of our Nation.
“The Union is disturbed by the surreptitious moves by the government to price university education beyond the reach of the poor Nigerian students and their parents through the introduction of various charges.”
The union called on Nigerians to prevail on Nigerian government to urgently address all outstanding issues contained in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action.
ASUU calls on Nigerians of goodwill to, in the interest of our students and the nation, prevail on the Nigerian government to urgently address all outstanding issues contained in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action.
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“NEC rejects with vehemence, the current attempts to impose master-slave treatment as a mechanism for relating with Nigerian scholars under whatever guise by the ruling class. ASUU members are citizens, not slaves.
“Finally, NEC appreciates the resilience of our members and their families. Their understanding and perseverance, in the face of hardship and provocation occasioned by the government’s intransigence and insensitivity shall be rewarded by posterity.”
The statement added that the meeting also reviewed and condemned the government’s attempt to casualise the job of intellectuals.
“As reflected in the pro-rated salaries paid to our members for the month of October 2022, as well as the continued withholding of our member’s salaries for the preceding eight months, even when the backlog of the work is being covered by our members in various universities,” the statement added