Since 14th of February when the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began its indefinite strike, Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning have remained under lock and key. It is a worrisome situation for not just the students and parents who are directly involved, it also has greater impact on the societal development. The ongoing industrial action has become a disgrace to the country.
Of recent, a segment of the organized labour decided to go on a protest in solidarity with the university lecturers so as to get the government to listen to their demands. The traditional institutions are not keeping quiet either. It will be recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto also lend his voice to the impasse.
The Olofin of Isheri Kingdom and Adimula of Awori Kingdoms, HRM, His Royal Majesty, Oba Sulaiman Adekunle Bamgbade (Ayodele III) has added his voice and urged the government to save the educational sector from further decay. He revealed that having intermittent educational activities is frustrating and confusing for young people. It is also destabilizing for the growth of a developing economy as Nigeria’s.
He told NAOSNP: ‘It is a very bad situation that we are in as it concerns the education of our youths. It gives a feeling of helplessness when you have to pause and carry on many times on your educational pursuit. We are equally angry but there is a limited influence we can have. The situation is quite bad and we are the ones feeling the brunt of it because as a traditional ruler, you can’t live elsewhere apart from the town where you are coronated. If I was a commissioner, I could have been living in Lekki and be using Isheri palace as my office but you have to sit in the midst of your people. And every day, they come to knock at the door that issues have happened and you have to face the challenges head on.’
He noted that if the traditional institution had the powers, it would have compelled a change but it cannot due to its limited influence in the current political system. ‘Even when the Sultan of Sokoto spoke about the issue, what has been done? Where are our children? They are still at home when they are supposed to be in school. So it is not like we don’t talk but we should not just be speaking for the fun of it. Our voices should be respected.’
‘I want to urge the government to do a lot more and come to a conclusion and stop the incessant strike for our young ones. It is really not a good situation where we have found ourselves. Yet every day, you go on social media and see their children graduate from universities abroad, it is bad. They are sending wrong signals to the youths in the country so the government should find a way and fix our education’, NAOSNP can report.
‘It is wrong to leave our education in this situation for more than 4 months. We have to find a permanent solution. I want to beg our government to find a permanent solution to incessant strike. I also want to appeal to our youths to stay away from crime and that there is light at the end of the tunnel’, he concluded.
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