The lingering strike action that has kept university students at home for over four months now has prompted the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call for a bill to regulate how children of public officers enroll in schools outside the shores of Nigeria.
The infamous ASUU strike that has crippled academic activities in tertiary institutions around the country inspired a two-day warning protest led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday and Tuesday.
NAN reports that the call was made by Kingdom Tombra, Chairman of the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island chapter of the union, during the solidarity protest on Tuesday in Yenagoa.
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“If this is done, it will build a better society by developing formidable educational institutions and improve funding of the university system in Nigeria.
“This struggle is not against government, but about the working class and against the ruling class and we are very committed to it.
“If the rich and poor go to the same university or institution, I don’t think the strike will occur again.
“If they school here and their children are here they will show total support for the university system and the tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” he said.
Lecturers in government-owned universities commenced a nationwide strike on February 14, over the adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a payment system in the university sector.
Adding his voice, John Ndiomu, the NLC Chairman in Bayelsa, urged the federal government to sign the renegotiated draft agreement between it and ASUU.
“Adopt University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) in place IPPIS, Pay Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).
“Release of Revitalization Fund, Release white paper on visitation to Federal Universities. Amend NUC law to control proliferation of state universities without funding,” the labour leader said.
The bill has been touted as a possible solution to incessant ASUU strikes. There is belief that stopping public office holders from sending their children to study abroad will force them to prioritize education in Nigeria.
However, this is not the first time the bill is being considered. In March, a member of the House of Representatives, Sergius Ogun, introduced a bill seeking to bar public officers from sending their children abroad for education unless they prove they can afford it without using public fund. The bill was vehemently rejected with some members of the House arguing that it would infringe on the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.
Thus, ASUU’s attempt to push for the bill once again will only end in futility as many of the representatives expected to pass the bill have their kids in different schools overseas.
Some of the demands of ASUU that the federal government is yet to meet are: revitalization of public universities, earned academic allowances and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution for payment of university lecturers.