..Says PMB Must Fasttrack Students’ Resumption Within 14 Days
By Gbenga Sodeinde
Member of the National Executive Council of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), representing Ado Ekiti branch, and Human Rights lawyer, Olakami Samuel Falade, has criticized the Federal Government’s approval for additional new Universities despite the on going strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) which has entered third month.
ASUU has been on strike for over fifty days, over failure of the Federal Government to attend to implement the agreement is reached with union on demands for revitalization of all Federal universities, payment platform and others.
Amidst the ongoing strike, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, gave approval for establishment of additional 12 new Universities in the country.
The NBA NEC member who frowned at this action, pointed out that the such development clearly shows that the Federal Government is insensitive to the plight of the poor students who have been at home for more than 12 weeks now.
Falade said: “though President Buhari could be understood that he was trying to write his name in gold, but this is a wrong move at the wrong time.
“The President could only have his name written in Gold if he does everything he could to ensure that the ASUU strike is called of within 14 days from now”.
While lamenting the plight of the students, Falade further said; “it is sad, painful and pitiable that the situation shows that only the children of the poor are suffering due to insensitive posture of the Federal Government to education.
“How many of the ministers’ children are schooling in Nigeria,? that is why the Presidency or the Federal Government are not bothered by the ongoing strike which has now entered the third months.
“Because the future of these students is now being toyed with with the ugly development, I am calling on President Buhari, the Federal Government, the ASUU and all other stakeholders to please do the needful and fasttrack the resumtion of the students before 14 days time so as to stop further damage to the Nigeria tertiary educationsystem”. Falade added.