The Federal Government, yesterday, assured Nigerian students that the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, would be over in a few months.
NYESOM MIKE-Min of Edu
This was made known by the Minister of Education, Mr Nyesom Wike at the anniversary lecture of National Universities Commission, NUC, in Abuja.
The minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Macjohn Nwaobiala, reiterated Federal Government commitment in resolving the ongoing strike of ASUU.
“The Federal Government is very concerned about the state of public tertiary institutions in the country.
“The Federal Government is really worried about the ongoing strike of ASUU and the strike would be resolved in a few months,” he said.
Speaking at the event, a former Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Jubril Munzali, in his goodwill message, said the education sector for 21 years have been under funded and the significant increase in the funding of tertiary institutions were done through the struggle of ASUU.
He blamed the Federal Government for lingering ASUU strike, adding that it is time for the Federal Government to listen to its agencies and allow NUC perform its statutory role and fund universities based on the advice of its agencies like NUC.
He said the Federal Government process of direct funding of universities, have over the years resulted in mismanagement of the funds allocated to the institutions.
At the event, Professor John Daniel in his paper presentation titled, ‘Turbulent and Testing Times for Global Higher Education: Lessons for Nigeria’, said “online teaching and learning is now part of the future of most universities. Nigeria should be very good at this because without embarrassing you by pressing the point, I note that your country, through 419 scams, is a world leader in the use of the internet for less desirable purposes.”
