Nigerian govt should stop paying lip service to strikes in education sector —NBA

With the current strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in its second month, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has railed against the passivity of the Federal Government over resolving the situation.

The NBA President, Olumide Akpata stated this on Monday during a press conference as part of the activities of the association’s two-day Legal Education Summit in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The summit in collaboration with Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) with the theme: “Reimagining Legal Education in Nigeria” would hold between Tuesday March 29 and Wednesday March 30.

According to Akpata, the FG needs to take the education sector seriously in the interest of the Nigerian youth and the society.

“Our government should stop paying lip service to the issue of strike. Government needs to get serious about how it wants to run education in Nigeria right from budgetary allocation.

“You can’t overemphasize how important the education is in the life of any person. It is easy to ask teachers to go back to work, but how do you do the right thing to motivate them?

“Education at all levels must get the seriousness it deserves. Let the government fulfil its own side of the pact. Education is too important to be left to politicking and grandstanding.

“Government should quickly do what is necessary to open our schools for normal activities.

Read also: Lawyer sues NBA, seeks N10m compensation

“Strike and school closure is becoming a tragicomedy, it has reoccurred over and over again. With time, the brand “Nigerian trained” may become an albatross, because employers will start asking how you were trained.

“So, It is important for government to resolve the issue if they think education of the Nigerian children is still important,” Akpata said.

Akpata also decried how the National Assembly had allegedly politicised the establishment of additional law school campuses in the country.

“Presently, the School has six campuses. It is pitiable seeing the conditions of the six campuses.

“It is like somebody trying to play game while trying to set up another six when the existing ones are underfunded with some lawmakers trying to locate in their constituencies.

“It is wrong for anyone to politicise the establishment of law school, because it is too important to be seen as constituency project”, he said.

The ASUU had repeatedly criticised the country’s leadership for neglecting the education sector over alleged lack of funds.

However, the Federal Government through the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba claimed that all the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had been met.

He said: “ASUU announced and we met and everything that they have demanded, we have done all of them including the earned allowances and the revitalisation fund; they choose to extend it for two months may be.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now