NASS REPUBLIC: Ending ASUU strike. Two other stories, and a quote to remember

On February 22, the House of Representatives urged the Federal Government to honour its agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and end the ongoing 30-day waring strike.

We tracked two other stories from the National Assembly (NASS), for your reading pleasure.

Ending ASUU Strike

The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion presented by Hon. Dozie Nwankwo at the plenary in Abuja.

Nwankwo had emphasised the need to tackle the incessant strike actions by ASUU, noting that the move had altered the academic calendar, and impacted negatively on the teaching staff.

It is rather shameful that ASUU’s industrial actions have become an aspect of Nigeria’s education system, questioning the Federal Government’s willingness and commitment to systematically deal with the twin issues of capacity building and growing a knowledge economy.

The academic union, on its part, must seek more creative ways to pursue its agenda, rather than regularly grounding the entire system in pursuit of sectional goals.

It is trite to add that a more responsible approach to finding lasting solutions must see the government genuinely commit to honouring the terms of the various agreements reached with ASUU since 2009, while the latter seeks more innovative ways of passing their grievances across.

Enough of shutting down the system every now and then.

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NASS MEMORY LANE

Who said;

“We believe, the ninth National Assembly, that our royal fathers must have a role and a better and clearly official role and function in our constitution so that we are able to have an all-inclusive governance structure that will ensure that our Royal Fathers do what they are doing today in a more official manner.”

Answer: See end of post

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Two other stories

Dealing with terrorist leaders

The Senate, on February 23, charged the Federal Government to declare all suspected terrorist leaders in the country wanted.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, and 12 other Senators during the plenary in Abuja.

Baying for the head of terrorist or bandit leaders is no brainer. The protracted war against terrorism, and the growing incidence of banditry, all suggest a failure of governance.

Critics are, therefore, not totally off the mark in asserting that the government had shown little or no will to prosecute the war to a logical conclusion. The issue is made more succinct by the refusal of the federal authorities to publicly name suspects they had repeatedly boasted were known to government.

Read also: NASS REPUBLIC: Tackling ritual killings. Two other stories, and a quote to remember

The call by the Senators is not only tepid but a merry go round designed to achieve nothing! The executive rarely takes them serious and that speaks to the Nigerian condition.

Evacuating Nigerians from Ukraine

On February, 24, the House of Representatives called for immediate evacuation of Nigerians in war-torn Ukraine.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Hon. Ahmed Munir, during plenary at the Green Chambers of the NASS, Abuja.

“We have a significant number of undergraduate and graduate students currently studying in Ukraine of which a portion are under government scholarships…If a strategic plan is not put in place to secure and provide safe passage for our citizens, they may be harmed,” Munir said.

Munir’s motion speaks to national essence. What worries several Nigerians is the repeated slow response by the Federal Government to emerging humanitarian crisis.The reaction to the Ukrainian war is typical of this tardiness.

It is hoped that the government turns a new leaf soonest.

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Answer: Dr. Ahmad Lawan

Lawan made the statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, on February 6, 2022. Lawan is the current President of the Nigerian Senate.

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