Nigerian Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has called on the Govt, universities, unions, and citizens to begin critical conversation about the future of public tertiary education in the country.
The Speaker who made the call after the suspension of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) eight months strike on Friday, said the decision to suspend the strike was a welcome development.
Gbajabiamila that was tirelessly negotiating to see that the ASUU strike ends, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.
Minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu; Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige; Professor Emmanuel Osodeke and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for working to resolve the issues that necessitated the strike action.
The Speaker also appreciated his colleagues in the House of the Reps for the decision to intervene in negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“I am confident that the House will endeavour to ensure that the Federal Government keeps its commitments to the union and universities.
“It is regrettable that this strike action happened in the first place. It is even more unfortunate that it lasted as long as it did. We must make sure it never happens again”, Gbajabiamila said.
He noted that public universities should be citadels of learning and innovation, where young people discover themselves and reach for the stars. “That is not now the case. Changing that requires that we admit certain harsh truths and take radical action.
“The suspension of this strike does not mean all the issues of funding, education standard, and student and staff welfare have been resolved”, the Speaker said.
Adding that: “Instead, let this be a call to action for the government, universities, unions, and citizens to begin the critical conversation about the future of public tertiary education in the country”.
He assured that this is an objective the House of Representatives will pursue with dedication and determination.
The Speaker wished the young people Godspeed as they return to school. “I encourage them to ensure that the disruption to the academic calendar does not deter them from pursuing their ambitions and achieving their best dreams.
Meanwhile, the academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU has suspended its eight-month-old strike with effect from 12:01am on Friday, October 14, 2022, however, saying that issues at stake have not been addressed satisfactorily.
The decision was taken at the emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Union, which was held late Thursday until Friday morning in Abuja.
ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who announced the suspension of the protracted strike in a statement issued on Friday, however, lamented that the issues in dispute were yet to be satisfactorily addressed.
ASUU had embarked on the rollover strike on February 14, 2022 over failure of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the union.
Recall that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, after what he described as “failed negotiations”, dragged the striking lecturers to the National Industrial Court.
The National Industrial Court on
September 21, 2012 ordered ASUU to call off the strike. The court granted the motion on notice filed by the Federal Government directing the lecturers to return to classrooms.
Ruling on the interlocutory injunction, the trial judge, Polycarp Hamman, restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action.