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Student Group Calls For Protest Against Poor Running Of Nigerian Universities, Laments '15 Industrial Actions By Lecturers In 22 Years'

February 7, 2022

In a statement on Monday titled, ‘Proposed ASUU Strike: As Public Education Dies, We Must Rise,’ and signed by its National Coordinator, Damilare Adenola, the group lamented that Nigerian university lecturers, since 1999, have been on strike 15 times and for a cumulative period of four years.

The student wing of the human rights and pro-democracy group, Take It Back Movement, has directed students across Nigeria to protest against the poor running of universities by the government.

In a statement on Monday titled, ‘Proposed ASUU Strike: As Public Education Dies, We Must Rise,’ and signed by its National Coordinator, Damilare Adenola, the group lamented that Nigerian university lecturers, since 1999, have been on strike 15 times and for a cumulative period of four years.

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“If there is anything that has been constant about the Nigerian student's academic calendar, it is the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal government gripping each other’s throats over the funding of Nigerian Universities, better working conditions amidst other demands,” the statement partly read.

The student wing of the Take It Back Movement, therefore, frowned on news of another planned indefinite industrial action by ASUU, “while kick-starting with a lecture-free day declaration for today, 7th of February 2022”.

“Whereas there are also indications that by February 14, the Union in the upper echelon will take the bold step in order to compel.

“Again, students of public institutions will be forced out of classes, deprived of their right to education as lecturers plan to put classrooms under locks and keys for the 16th time since 1999. However cruel and painful the proposed industrial action feels, it is important to pinpoint the real fountainhead of this unending menace facing public education in Nigeria today,” the statement further said.

In view of the situation, the group called on the government to equip public institutions with 21st-century facilities, employ enough lecturers to match the ratio of students and pay the staff adequately.

It described the revitalisation of the dying public education as ASUU’s chief demand, “for which they have for decades been uncompromisingly pressing home”.

 

It continued, “Providing free and quality education; instead of the Federal Government fulfilling the basic constitutional duty owed to Nigerian students, has further quickened the death of public education by underfunding the most crucial sector of any Nation desirous of peace and development. This year for instance, out of 16.39 trillion general budgetary allocations, N1.29 trillion, amounting to a paltry 7.9 per cent was allocated to education against the United Nations benchmark of 15-20 per cent.

 

“It is in thought with the above facts that we direct Nigerian students to own the struggle for the revitalisation of education, spearheaded by ASUU. And in the spirit of solidarity rise up in protest against the deliberate act of the government to deprive children of the masses from accessing education.”

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Education