NIFES tackles ASUU over strike

THE leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday came under heavy attack by the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students over the ongoing strike, saying the lecturers are the real problems of the university system.

Former Director, Associates, NIFES Headquarters, Dr Ebere Eze, spoke at a news conference as part of activities marking NIFES @50 celebration and fundraising holding on Saturday at International Conference Centre Abuja.

Over 2,000 Nigerian students from different campuses all over the Federation would be trained during the forthcoming conference being organised by NIFES.

The news conference was addressed by the National Director of NIFES, Mr Rex Onuh and the Chairman Central Working Committee NIFES @50, Professor Sam Ale, who also was a former Director-General of National Mathematical Centre, Abuja.

Dr Eze lamented that the incessant strike actions by ASUU over time have caused more harm than good to the smooth running and quality teaching and learning to place in the nation’s university system.

He noted that once the lecturers embark on strike to press home implementation of their demands, harm would have been done to the academic programmes of the institutions.

ALSO READ: Contribute towards national development, Ajimobi urges corps members

He said: “I encourage all of you to go online to check the recent university ranking all over the world, the first 1500 universities in the world, there are only three Nigerian universities that came in – the University of Ibadan ranked 6000, Covenant University, 851 and University of Nigeria Nnsuka ranked 1015.

“What is the basis for this ranking? Basically two things. The quality of facilities and environment for learning and the quality of funding for research and number of researches that have been turned into a practical application.

“When you look at all these in the Nigerian universities, they are not doing well with them. We have a lot of theories, and when you are doing a PhD, you write a project of 350 pages and at the end, they are catching dust at the shelve.

“We do not turn these theories into solutions. The Nigerian universities are so poor that we do only theories and not doing research to change society.

“ASUU is not thinking of that. On funding, UNESCO said for any nation to spend adequately on education, 30% of your total budget goes to education.

“No government has achieved this since both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have been power and ASUU is not challenging that. ASUU is simply challenging the government for their salaries and entitlements.

“I want to tell you from my academic background that even though we are not funding education well in Nigeria, but if the little government is giving is well utilised, we should not be where we are.

“Some of our Vice-Chancellors are the most corrupt people, and ASUU is not challenging them. A Vice-Chancellor of a University said he spent N210 million to build a library and it was realised that what he spent to build the library was not up to N10 million work done.

“I don’t support the strike because what strike does to the university system is that it alters the academic calendar. Students who should have quality eight months class end up doing four months and cramming just to pass the examination.

“Nigerian students cram a lot and the fault is ASUU. When they graduate, you give them a job, they cannot perform,” he said.

Dr Eze said Nigeria’s problems began in 1960 when the military who were not trained in the art of governance took over the administration of the country.

Speaking in the same vein, the NIFES Director, Rex Onuh, called on both the Federal Government and ASUU to come together to resolve the issues once and for all in the interest of Nigerian students who are the future leaders that the strike has put their lives in jeopardy.

He said NIFES has done a lot in the area of training of raising the Nigerian youths to become leaders with an excellent value system and strong biblical convictions.