Pro-Chancellors To ASUU: Strike Injurious To Educational System

Pro-Chancellors of State-owned universities have told the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) another round of strike would be injurious to the educational system as well as the future of students.

They urged ASUU to shelve the planned strike action aimed at pressing for their demands with the Federal Government.

Chairman, Committee of Pro Chancellors of State-owned Universities in Nigeria, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) told reporters in Ilorin, Kwara state capital at the official handing over ceremony of 10,000 exercise books by the Yusuf Olaolu Ali Foundation to the Osun State Government that ASUU should have a rethink on the proposed action.

The educationist said: “This is not the best of times for our educational system to be put in a coma”, based on implications of strike actions.

“As Chairman, Committee of Pro Chancellors of State-owned Universities, with 48 members, I should know that this is not the best of times for our educational system to be put in a coma.

“What do I mean? I want to appeal to the leadership of ASUU and their members to have a larger look at the implications of all these strikes, not only on our standard of education, but on the acceptability of our certificates outside of our country.

“Anybody who follows closely issues of university ranking, one of the greatest criteria used is the stability of educational calendar, which we have been missing for years in our country.

“So, I want to appeal as a parent, a citizen and as an educationist, that ASUU should pursue other methods to get whatever is their rights from the governments, knowing fully well that it is common knowledge that Nigerian economy is in a doldrum and that Nigeria has too many unsatisfied social interventions be it in infrastructure, health, even water supply. This type of strike leads to more problems than offering solutions.

“I also want to appeal to the government not to ever enter into any agreement they know they don’t have the wherewithal to see through.

“Government should not at any point succumb to social pressure to agree to things they don’t have the capacity to accomplish.

“Government should also look at whatever they can do to ameliorate the condition of our academic and our tertiary institutions generally, which calls attention to stark reality that no government can fund education all by itself.

” I’m speaking from experience being a Pro Chancellor of Osun state University for six years. I know what it takes to navigate very turbulent ocean of payment of salaries, emolument in the face of dwindling public resources”.

Mallam Ali, who is the founder of the foundation said it was established in 2009.

He said that the foundation had taken practical steps in its different areas ot intervention to ease the plight of the poor.

“In the area of healthcare for instance, the foundation has built a Trauma Center, a Renal Dialysis Center, renovated a part of a General hospital and assists over 600 patients to settle hospital bills within and outside of Nigeria over the years.

‘In education, the Foundation awards annual scholarships to a specified number of students in Ilorin and lfetedo. It has also built e-resource center, E-Library and hostels in several higher institutions of learning in the country.

“It also has an annual scholarship to pay the WAEC and NECO fees of 50 indigent students of Ibadan Boys High School in lbadan and also supports indigent law students to settle part of their Law school fees, to mention but a few.

“The choice of education, as one of the points for intervention, is understandable because education is the key to everything that is good in our world today. It is also the key to the future and helps discipline
our children for the intellectual challenges of the rest of the 21st century,” he said