Education
THE Senate on Wednesday, august 16, faulted the Academic Staff Union of Universities for not consulting the legislature before embarking on its indefinite nationwide strike action on Monday, August 14.
It urged the union to suspend the strike and continue negotiations with the Federal Government.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, Senator Jibrin Barau, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, also dismissed the call by Nigerians that children of public officials should be restricted to the country’s public schools to force development of the education sector.
Responding to a question on whether the National Assembly should enact a law to prevent public officials from enrolling their wards in foreign schools, the lawmaker said Nigeria needs to have socio-cultural exchanges with other countries.
According to Barau, such move is not good for Nigeria, noting that there were students from Cameroun and Niger Republic who also studied in Nigeria.
He said, “On making a law to bar people from taking their children outside to study, it is something that we know will not be good for our country.
“We know that it is always good to mingle with people from other parts of the world when it comes to the issue of education.
“You cannot be an island to yourself; that you will remain here in Nigeria and say you would not want to interact; you would not want to interface with any other part of the world in developing your education system.
“It is not something that has not been done in any part of the world. There is that interaction and that interaction is very necessary; allowing other people from other parts of the world to learn from here.
“You are aware that students from Cameroun, Niger and other parts of the world come here. We have exchange students who come from even the European nations to this country. You must have that interaction.
“What we should say is this: We should make sure that we develop universities and educational institutions to the level of those that we send our children to.
“That is something that should be done. But saying that students should not go to other countries, that I think is not going to be good for us.”
Adamu Adamu, minister of Education, on Wednesday, August 16, admitted that the federal government indeed failed to meet its part of the agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, last year which led to the ongoing industrial action declared by the union.
However, he said the government was not happy that ASUU embarked on the strike without following due process by giving adequate notice.
Adamu spoke with State House correspondents after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by acting President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said the government had realised that it made some promises to the union which it has yet to fulfil.
He said he would be meeting with leaders of the union on Wednesday, August 16 evening or on Thursday, August 17.
He expressed optimism that some agreements would be reached at the meeting and the strike would be called off as soon as possible.
The minister said, “It is very sad that I am here and ASUU is on strike. Late last year, we had a meeting because ASUU gave one week notice of strike and we were able to work out some agreement.
“I must confess that government has not fulfilled its part of the bargain. Though we are unhappy that ASUU went on this strike without following due process and giving us good notice, we realised that we promised something and we didn’t fulfill it.
“I hope I will be meeting them later today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday) and I am sure we will be able to reach some agreement so that the strike will be called off as soon as possible.
“I am sure you are aware of the issues we agreed on. There is the issue of re-negotiation which is the only one they agreed government has done what it promised because we set up the re-negotiation team and negotiation is already ongoing.
“There is the issue of Earned Allowances and I think because of some miscommunications, what we promised could not be done, but am I assuring ASUU and the whole nation that this is going to be done.
“There is the issue of registration for Nigerian Universities Pension Commission. I think on that one, there are a few issues that need to be sorted out with the Nigerian Pension Commission. I believe there will be no problem with that.
“On the issue of their staff school, I think the court has given them verdict to go ahead with it. They have requested that they should be allowed to stay off TSA and I think the government will not do this.
“But there are some peculiar funds in the university like endowment which are monies kept and all the interest they generate, prices and so on are given.
“Government will exempt that one only. But universities are part of the peculiarities. They just must log on.
Aug 16, 2017 @ 18:15 GMT
Tags: Academic Staff Union of Universities Adamu Adamu ASUU Strike: We Failed to Fulfil Agreement - Minister Minister of Education National Assembly
