ASUU Strike Extension, A Total Disappointment — Committee Of VCs

The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities in Nigeria has expressed displeasure over the extension of the warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by another 12 weeks, saying the development would further slow down Nigeria’s progress.

The chairman of the committee, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, who is also the vice chancellor of  University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) expressed this feeling in an interview with Nigerian Tribune, on Monday, when his reaction to the strike extension was sought.

ASUU had originally been on a one-month warning strike and rolled the action over in March for another two months before it announced on Monday an additional three months, giving the same reasons of lack of government readiness to meet its demands.

Professor Abdulkareem said that for the students to stay at home for many months when they were supposed to be in school studying is not a good omen for any serious country.

He said it was very unfortunate, adding that “it is the students who are directly affected by the academic disruption and their parents will have to put up with the consequences of the development.”

He said it would not be out of place if the Federal Government could by all means resolve the issue even if it would involve borrowing to address ASUU’s concerns permanently.

He therefore advised both the Federal Government and ASUU to settle the crisis for normalcy to return to the nation’s ivory towers.