ASUU strike: Students call for PPP to fund universities, recount losses

SOME students have appealed to the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve their differences, as they suggest Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to fund the university system. 

The students, who recounted losses caused by the six months strike by ASUU, continued to express serious concern about the situation, saying the long stay at home had inflicted permanent injury on them and damage to the education system. 

They made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday. 

Ms Philemon Kojo, a clinical student in the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), said that ASUU strike has become a regular occurrence for many years for public university with prolonged academic years as the obvious effect. 

Kojo suggested that for the issue to be resolved, ASUU and the education ministry should engage global monetary agencies to access unding or better still, the education sector should be privatised for proper management. 

She said, “The education sector should research into solutions that can lead us from a customer economy to productive economy, for example, vaccine and drug production, electronics and even energy generation.” 

“The ASUU strike has been tormenting me mentally and emotionally, especially as I see my counterparts in private institutions graduating and progressing with their lives. 

“As a clinical year student, all my past efforts in clinical postings are thrown away because I have to repeat them on resumption. 

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“Imagine four months posting done prior to a six-month strike after which I have to repeat that same posting. It’s mentally depressing. 

“Do I have to speak on the financial implications such as hostel rents wasted, traveling, foodstuffs thrown away and last but not the least, the time that can never be gotten back, especially in Nigeria where there are age limits to getting jobs. 

“This is my seventh year in the university, for a six-year course, but I’m just starting 500-level,” she said. 

Another student of UNIABUJA, Mr Nwachukwu Cletus, said there was need for good leadership “when the head is good, every other part of the body will be alright, government should appoint leaders who will prioritise education and are well knowledgeable on how educational system should be managed.