ASUU Raises Alarm On Plans To ‘Privatize’ Federal Universities

The Ibadan Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has said the Federal Government is not ready to address the issues that led to the ongoing strike because it is bent on destroying public varsities and privatizing them..

The union said after the Federal Government might have destroyed the system, the “undertakers of privatization” will take public universities from the reach of the children of the masses.

The union, in a statement on Tuesday by its Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Oyebamiji Oyegoke, said it was shocking that the Federal Government is determined to destroy the education sector.

Oyegoke said, “Unless Nigerians join ASUU to struggle and deliver public funded universities to the children of the masses, agents of privatization of public universities have concluded plans to deny the Nigeria youths access to qualitative education and make them serve their children who are schooling in foreign universities.

“What is unveiling before us is deceit, and readiness to bring University education to its kneel after which the undertakers of privatization will take over; no wonder, the increasing number of private universities and polytechnic against the depreciating and fastly decaying number of same in public institutions.”

According to the Ibadan Zone of ASUU, the demands of the union are not self-serving but altruistic.

“As a body of intellectuals, our union demands repositioning of our universities for greater efficiency in national development and technological advancement.

“Also, massive and sustained funding for our universities; a reversal of apparent decay in the university system; and, enhanced and competitive remuneration for overworked academic staff in Nigerian Universities.

“Nigerians should join ASUU to ask the Federal Government of Nigeria to toe the path of honour by respecting the agreement it freely entered with our union.”

The ASUU boss maintained that the administration of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) was leaving a legacy of “tragic epigram” on our education in Nigeria.

“It is a sad commentary that a government which was brought into power by a popular mandate of the teaming Nigerian masses, has turned full cycle against a key agent of development like the education sector.

“We are pained as a union to observe this government, which is on its way out, keeps a date with history as it struggles to scribble a tragic epigram on our education sector. What a legacy to leave.”