Egwu, Okojie, Yakubu Discuss ASUU Strike, Education Challenges

Egwu, Okojie, Yakubu Discuss ASUU Strike, Education Challenges

EFFIONG EKPO

The trio of Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, Juluis Okojie and Mahmud Yakubu, all key stakeholders of the Nigerian educational system have re-assessed the on-going strike by the Academic Staff union of Universities (ASUU) alongside critical issues in the Nigerian education sector concluding that it will take a holistic approach by all to address the challenge. At a recent media interactive forum, 'Focus Nigeria, a programme on the African Independent Television AIT, monitored by our correspondent, the discussion bothered on the on-going ASUU strike and general approval of the nation's education which drew attention from members of the public, home and abroad on the way forward. But dousing the public anxiety over what has become of the university education in the wake of on-going ASUU strike, the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu stated that going by the efforts made so far, government and ASUU are interested in the solution to the crisis. The Minister who drew courage from the meeting of the Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan with the Union, recently expressed optimism that the strike will soon be over.

Dr. Sam Egwu, who was assisted by the Executive Secretary of the National University Commission (NUC) Professor Julius Okoji and the Executive Secretary, Education Trust Fund (ETF) Professor Mohumd Yakubu, opined that rather than the reasons for the on-going ASUU strike, the university teachers should have critically examined the rot in the university systems, in accessible funds by interventionist agencies among others. The Minister stated that government has shown enough commitment in the manner it acceded to ASUU's numerous demands in recent times, citing the fact that presently, few universities have benefited from the University Autonomy Act in place since 2003, but only gazetted in 2007, by appointing their Vice- Chancellors through the university's council, without external involvement.

Again, he noted that a lot had been injected into the nation's education sector through increased budgetary allocation and assistance by the Education Trust Fund (ETF) He said that the on-going strike would have been needless, if only the Union has utilized the opportunity available in the meeting he facilitated, while the warming strike lasted; "it appeared ASUU made up its mind to go on strike despite efforts during the warming strike", he added. In their own comment both the Executive Secretary of ETF, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu and his counterpart from the NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie lamented lack of accountability in the administration of the university system by the authorities. According to the ETF helmsman, internally generated revenues "are hardly declared. In similar vein, the NUC boss, Julius Okojie said that Universities are now improving their revenue base through consultancy services and they established new departments, employ new staff without recourse to the government".

Again, the Minister for Education, Dr. Sam Egwu hinged government's approval of only 40 percent salary increase for ASUU on the economic situation and spoke of the possibility of improving the academics wages when the economy gets better. Dr. Egwu who stated that he believes in an all-encompassing solution to mitigate the challenges of the sector, added that three months on assumption of office as Nigeria's Minister of Education, he drew up a roadmap involving stakeholders. According to him, his roadmap for education includes Access (carrying capacity, enrolment) Quality Assurance (teachers' quality, quality of graduates and facilities) and the Technical and Vocational Education (ensuring adequate technical manpower) Dr. Egwu said that the plan has been analyzed into medium, short term, medium- short term and long term plan.

He added that as part of effort to adequately fund education, he had advised President Umaru Yar'Adua to consider 26 percent United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. Also speaking on funding of the Nigerian Universities, Executive Secretary of ETF, Prof Mahmud Yakubu (the first university teacher to head ETF) declared that about N16billion being saved is being used as intervention fund in the tertiary institutions. Again, Prof. Mahmud revealed that funds have been set aside for central and competitive research, with N2billion earmarked for journals and publication of books, all in an effort to journals and publication of books, all in an effort to meet Nigeria's target of becoming one of the best economies in the world by 2020. As a move to curtail brain drawn, the ETF boss revealed that the body will soon disburse funds to facilitate foreign training for academics and in turn attract best brains into the country's higher institutions of learning.

He was particularly convinced that political will and commitment on the part of the Federal Government has made this possible: "we have enjoyed absolute support from the Minister; we have enjoyed absolute support from Mr. President. Although the ETF boss lamented that no Nigerian universities ranked among top 100 in a recent report, he blamed the development partly on disruption of the nation's academic calendar, adding that the was confident that Nigerian universities would be among top 100 in the world by 2010. He called on university Vice-Chancellors to channel funds on worthy projects that can help improve quality in the system. His counterpart, Julius Okoji, appealed to admission seekers to take advantage of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, as he declared that over one million candidates yearly seek admission in universities with less than 300 spaces, despite the inclusion of 34 private universities at present.

The discussants generally agreed that a lot of challenges are on the way of educational system in the country and appealed to ASUU to sheathe its sword by looking away from strike action "at slightest provocation". But Nigerians who contributed to the programme took the Minister and his colleague to task, especially on the need to consider agreements with academic unions in the nation's education sector, check resort to overseas studies by children of public officers. For instance, Mr. Austin Sado, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt expressed concern whether the proposed university autonomy would not create confusion in the system. For Mr. Ubo from Saudi Arabia, the best way out of the nation's numerous educational challenges is to go back to the basics, where primary and secondary education would be well attended to

Indigene Makes Case for Nkpor Primary School

An appeal has been made to the Rivers state governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, to extend the on-going construction of Model Primary Schools to Nkpor Rumuolumeni in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers state. An indigene of the area and the Coordinator, Planning and Strategy of the South-South Youths Assembly, Chief Ozurumba Anele Wagbara, disclosed that Nkpor Community Primary School lacks all facilities to qualify the place for a school.

According to him, the buildings are dilapidated, while teachers and pupils have no desks, tables, and chairs to teach and learn. While disclosing that the community has been assisting the school with the provision of some facilities, Wagbara appealed for urgent attention as the school is fast loosing its pupils. He expressed happiness with the governor's giant developmental strides and positive disposition towards residents of the state, and called on distractors to give the governor time to deliver his mandate to the people.

He also called on the Federal Government to be proactive in the development of the Niger Delta region, while also calling on the youths in the area to accept the amnesty offered by government because it is a step towards resolving the region's problems. Meanwhile, Wagbara has called on companies operating in Rumuolumeni to offer employment to youths from the community. He lambasted the current practice where outsiders are employed while their doors are closed to indigenes, as he warned prominent indigenes of the place who sell job slots to outsiders.

The companies were also tasked to be thorough in their screening of prospective employees so as to fish out those with fake identities claiming to be indigenes. The entrepreneur appealed to youths in the state to abandon arm struggle and embrace the human capacity building programmes of the present administration in the state. They were also advised to tow the path of peace and moral rectitude so as to create the enabling environment for the development of the state

Petroleum University Should Remain in an Oil Producing State - Capt Garba

Aretired officer of the Nigerian Army and former sector Commander of the FRSC in Kano, Captain Mohammed Danlami Garba, has described an attempt to establish the Federal University of Petroleum Resources at Kaduna at the detriment of the ailing Petroleum Training Institute in Effurun, Delta state as capable of igniting crisis. Retired Capt. Garba who made this observation in Dutse recently, blamed the Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, for not giving the Federal Government sincere advice on the proper place to site such a university in the first place.

According to him, in the interest of fairness and peace, such an important university should be sited in one of the states in the oil producing region, if government does not have the intention to upgrade the existing PTI institute in Delta state. Said he, "With due respect to the Minister of Petroleum, I feel the suggestion of the site of the university in his home state is selfish and not in the interest of the nation. For instance, will it be proper to establish an Institute of Groundnut Research in the South while the north is known to be the hub of groundnut production?"

He urged the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to site the university in Kaduna and chose a state among the oil producing states in the interest of national unity, which the present administration is advocating. On the proposed amnesty package for Niger Delta militants, he said it should be supported by all peace loving Nigerians as it is very important for peace to be restored in the Niger Delta region. He advised the Federal Government to ensure that leaders of the militants and stakeholders have a clear picture of what government intends to do after the deadline given to the militants and appealed to President Umaru Yar'Adua to extend the amnesty granted to the Niger Delta militants to Major Al Mustapha and other political detainees, adding that what Nigeria needs now is peace.

The retired military officer also called on Nigerians making unguarded statements concerning the unfortunate happening in the Niger Delta region to desist from inflaming the situation which government is trying hard to address. Also commenting on the "Boko Haram" sectarian crisis in some parts of the North. He said it is unfortunate and urged Northern governors and other stakeholders in the region to ensure that the activities of the strange sects are not allowed to adulterate innocent children in the North.