ASUU strike: Priotise Nigerian students, end strike – AYGF urge FG, ASUU

Africa Youth Growth Foundation, AYGF, a Non-governmental Organization, has urged Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to find a way to resolve their differences and end the ongoing strike action that has kept students at home for more than six months.

Briefing journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the Executive Director of AYGF, Dr. Arome Salifu, said the incessant industrial action by University lecturers is already weakening the country’s education sector.The effect, according to him, could widen the workforce gap between the Nigerians and their counterparts in other developed countries.

He said “The ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities is crippling the education sector, particularly in the areas of engineering, research and development.

“Statistics have it that it would take Africa, Nigeria inclusive, 250 years to get to the current development level of the United States of America. These include trained workforce and human capital development.

“Nigeria being the giant of Africa, is trapped in the circle of unending stoppages in the process of developing its workforce. This is a huge setback for Africa.

“In the long run, we would not only be left behind by other countries in hand capital development, but also be burdened by capital flights in the way of importing human resources and products that could have been produced locally.

“Another major fallout of the incessant strike is the brain drain resulting from continuous unemployment.

Salifu urged Federal Government and ASUU to prioritise students who are the worst hit and agree on how to end this industrial action.

“ASUU and government have been in negotiations, accusations and counter accusations over the strike. In all of these, like it is often said, when two elephants fight, the grass suffers; our children are suffering and languishing at home.

“ASUU has accused the government of not keeping to its promise to pay over N1.5 trillion which is to be used in the upgrade of the universities and increase remuneration for lecturers. The sum, the government has repeatedly said, would be difficult to raise.

“As a fallout of the refusal of the government to pay, ASUU is left with no option but to go on strike. This strike so far, has not yielded any positive result. That is why we are here.

“Our aim here is not to apportion blame. We have to put our heads together and suggest a way forward from our current impasse. If we look at the consequences of the strike, we have no choice but to plead with all parties to sheath their swords.

“While we recommend that the government put empathy for the students first, it must take into cognizance the fact that our human capital development gap is widening. The students are going to be rushed through their courses, overburdened and the entire system will be crowded with mediocrity. Therefore, the government must as a matter of urgency, go the whole hog in solving this issue.

“We are so urging ASUU to consider finding a middle ground in all that has been said and agree in the negotiations with government and other stakeholders in the interest of national cohesion and posterity”, Dr Salifu added.

The Executive Director however charged students to seize the opportunity to develop themselves while waiting for the strike to be called off.