National Human Rights Commission has expressed deep concern over the incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, made this a statement in Abuja.
He said such actions have become the gravest threat to the Nigerian university system, in particular, and the Nigerian education sector in general.
Ojukwu observed that Nigerian students have been deprived of the enjoyment of their right to education over the years, and this has made them victims of industrial disharmony between the federal government and ASUU.
He added that the effect of ASUU strikes “have been devastating to the Nigerian university system by way of watering down the quality of education offered to Nigerian students”.
Ojukwu expressed disappointment that the government allows this kind of situation to linger, thereby jeopardizing the future of the youth as leaders of tomorrow.
” Academic performance of these students have been adversely affected, and the entire education system almost crippled.
” The situation has resulted in half-baked students and graduates who are unemployable, and who lack the basic skills necessary to survive the dynamic environments like Nigeria and the rest of the world”
” I am using this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government to get back to the negotiation table with ASUU and to ensure that the previous agreements reached with the union are implemented honestly to the best of its ability to avoid further escalation of the matter” he said.
Ojukwu also urged ASUU to think out of the box for other strategies, not using incessant strikes to press for their demands as this strike strategy has killed education in the country.
” Poor funding of universities, lack of payment of promotion arrears, earned academic allowance, poor funding of state universities etc, as demanded by ASUU, are genuine concerns that the government should not overlook, given that they are germane to the growth of the universities.
” National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) should not do anything that will violate the rights of other Nigerians, like blocking of federal highways, as its South-West branch allegedly did recently, such action is a clear violation of the rights of other road users.
” Although students have the right to express their grievances, they should always do so in a most civilised and human right friendly manner where the rights of every one is respected” he said.
Ojukwu said it was necessary to immediately resolve the impasse between ASUU and the government to prevent further collateral damage to the education sector.
” As things are today, educational tourism by Nigerians to even smaller countries in west Africa, Europe and America is mind bugging, and all this has resulted in huge loss of resources to other countries.
” Most students, after a prolonged stay at home, start venturing into unholy acts, making some of them not to return to school when the industrial actions are over.
” There are others who, out of boredom and want of what to do, resort to crime and criminal activities such as advanced fee fraud, drug peddling and use, gambling, robbery and kidnapping as well as other vices” he said.
He added that some of the ladies become susceptible to abusive relationships, unwanted pregnancies, prostitution and low morale and esteem.
ASUU had on March 15, extended its one-month warning strike by another two months over failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands.
ASUU president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who announced this in Abuja after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union, said the roll-over strike began by 12.01 a.m.
But the Federal Government said it had met all the demands of the union, based on the agreement reached with the leadership during negotiation meetings.
Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, while reacting to the announcement of the extension of strike by ASUU shortly after the 2022 Commonwealth Day celebration held at the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, said the government met with the union and had done all the union asked for.
He said: “We and ASUU have met and we agreed about everything. So, if they choose to extend the strike for two months, we have announced already that everything they have said, we have done all of them.”
The one-month warning strike embarked upon by ASUU on February 14 ended yesterday [Sunday].
The strike was to protest the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement and other Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) reached by the Federal Government, including the release of revitalisation fund for public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.