This Day (Lagos)
Davidson Iriekpen
7 July 2009
Lagos — Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Federal Government to respect the agreement it entered into with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the sake of the university system.
The association disclosed that the current administration does not appear to possess any clue as regards the realistic solution to the perennial challenges faced by the country, adding that it was high time all stakeholders in the polity intervened to save the educational system from total collapse.
In a statement by its President, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the association noted that government resort to blackmail as a veritable pastime of its functionaries whenever their acts of disservice to the nation are highlighted, will achieve nothing.
The statement added that it smacks of bad faith for any representative of the government to deny the existence the agreement between it and ASUU which spanning two and half years.
It said the demands of the union of lecturers would appear to keen watchers of events as stale but it was an agreement that was a culmination of negotiations.
The association called on Nigerians to impress it on the politicians that the issue of education must be taken seriously, saying that Nigerians must not stop at talking to the politicians alone as it was becoming increasingly clear that they are impervious to the suggestions aimed at ameliorating the rapidly dwindling fortunes in the education sector.
"Universities owned by governments in the country, state and federal, are back in the trenches consequent upon the resumption of the suspended strike by ASUU. The demands of the union of lecturers will appear to keen watchers of events as stale. It is an old song which is now sounding sour in our ears. This is so not because of lack of merit in these demands but, more importantly, it is a known fact that successive governments have failed to address the fundamental problems in the educational sector.
"It is time that all stakeholders in the polity intervened to save our educational system from total collapse. It is worthy of note that the agreement between the federal government and ASUU is a culmination of negotiations spanning two and half years. It smacks of bad faith for any representative of the government to deny the existence of same.
"Education at both the primary, secondary and tertiary levels is in a sorry state. Nigerian elites feel complacent at the destruction of these tiers of learning because of false consciousness of class superiority. We must not stop at talking to them alone as it is becoming increasingly clear that these people are impervious to the suggestions aimed at ameliorating the rapidly dwindling fortunes in the sector. The governments' refrain of 'no funds', 'government cannot fund education alone', among other clichés bandied to justify the insensitive posture of our rulers to the plight of the downtrodden masses must be soundly rejected."
"The NBA calls on the federal government, which prides itself on its self-appointed obligation of service to the people, to respect the agreement it freely entered into with ASUU for the sake of the system."
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