Parents
in the university town of Nsukka have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) to suspend its ongoing strike, considering the setback and
suffering it would cause students and their parents.
Some
parents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Friday,
said that if the strike was allowed to continue, it would alter university academic
calendar and make it difficult for students to graduate when they ought to.
Mrs
Njideka Ozioko, a secondary school Principal, decried the incessant strikes in
Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, describing them as unhealthy development.
“It is
unfortunate that some students have spent over five years for a course that is
supposed to last four years as result of frequent strikes.
“When
two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers; ASUU should consider
students and suspend the strike, while it continues negotiation with
government.”
She
said that the union should explore other avenues of ventilating its grievances,
saying that
strikes adversely affect the academic life of students.
strikes adversely affect the academic life of students.
Similarly,
Mr Jude Urama, while appealing to the lecturers to suspend the strike, said the
government should make education a priority in its programme by treating issues
relating to the sector honestly and transparently.
“It is
unbelievable that government cannot implement agreement it reached with ASUU
since 2009.
“If government
knew it didn’t have the financial muscle to fulfil that agreement, why did it
sign the agreement?’’ Urama asked rhetorically.
He also
appealed to the lecturers to consider the interest of students and parents who
are on the receiving end, and suspend the strike, so that final year students
could finish up with their examinations.
Also
commenting, Mrs Joy Ezeugwu, a Civil Servant, urged the ASUU leadership to give
Federal Government more time to meet its demands, in view of the present
economic recession in the country.
“It is
unfortunate that government has been unable to fulfil its own part of the
agreement reached with ASUU since 2009.
“Education
is the engine room that drives economic and technological development of any
nation.
“Our
leaders should learn how to give education its pride of place in order to move
this country to the next level,” she said. (NAN)
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