National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has raised concerns over a fresh threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), warning that it could erode the unprecedented two-year streak of uninterrupted academic activity recently achieved in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The student body spoke just as the National Vice President (South West) of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and Presiding Bishop of Victory International Church, Bishop Taiwo Adelakun, warned that the ongoing impasse between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government could escalate into a full-blown national crisis if urgent action is not taken to address it.
NANS, in a statement signed by its President, Olushola Oladoja, described the stability in the academic calendar as a “remarkable milestone” in Nigeria’s democratic history, one that must not be allowed to collapse under the weight of miscommunication and delayed implementation of earlier agreements.
NANS expressed disappointment over the emerging deadlock between ASUU and the Federal Government, which it described as a “preventable crisis” arising from communication gaps and inadequate crisis management.
According to the student body, both parties had previously shown commitment to resolving the issues at stake, but a government-convened meeting aimed at addressing the final grey areas was reportedly not honoured by ASUU. NANS noted that ASUU had cited procedural issues in organising the meeting as the reason for its non-attendance.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday ahead of the 36th anniversary celebration of Rehoboth Cathedral, themed “The Glory of the Latter House”, Adelakun described Nigeria’s underfunded and neglected university system as a ticking time bomb.
“A nation that refuses to educate its youth is only postponing disaster. If the lifestyle of those in government does not change, and billions continue to be spent on irrelevancies while education suffers, then Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb,” he said.
Adelakun, who also serves as the Chancellor of Dominion University, Ibadan, flayed the Federal Government over its claim of insufficient funds, saying: “It rings hollow when juxtaposed with the opulence of public office holders and the high cost of governance. If the National Assembly and those in power can slash their own income, then maybe they can credibly say there’s no money. But when leaders live in luxury, no one will believe such excuses. The ASUU crisis will keep repeating itself.”
