…NGO tasks parties on speedy resolution of lingering crisis
By Gami Tadanyigbe
Swift Action For Good Governance and Alliance (SWAGGA), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to convene an urgent education confab to proffer lasting solution to the 7 months lingering crisis in the country’s education sector.
The Civil Society body however called on the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reach a workable and speedy resolution to enable students resume school.
The National Chairman of SWAGGA, Mr. Oliver Thompson, made the call in a press statement issued to newsmen by the Publicity Secretary- Enuma Ikemefuna Charles in Abuja.
The President noted that the lingering strike is having negative impact on students, hence the need for speedy resolution was paramount.
The ongoing strike embarked upon by ASUU brings it to 7 months the students will stay at home over the failure of government and the union to reach a workable agreements.
Recall that the Academic Union through its President, Mr Emmanuel Osodeke had embarked on a nationwide warning strike from February to press home its demands, stressing that the action would continue until their demands were met.
The lecturers’ are demanding funding of the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.
Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.
“Our youths in public universities are losing their most active and creative years, while their parents are undergoing a painful agony of witnessing their children and resources waste away.
“We make this call in the overriding interest of our nation, but more particularly for the huge number of students, parents, academic and non- teaching staff in public universities across the country.
“Sadly, the children of most top government officials attend private universities or study abroad; they do not feel the distress and torment of the ordinary parents.
“We also want to call for a law mandating State actors their nuclear families to attend only Nigerian institutions while in office,” he said
