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Questionable social contract causing insecurity, say ASUU, Jega

By Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos
06 May 2022   |   2:38 am
Nigeria's questionable social contract has been identified by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a major cause of insecurity in the country.

Prof. Atahiru Jega

Nigeria’s questionable social contract has been identified by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as a major cause of insecurity in the country.

Other factors identified by ASUU include a shaky legal foundation, weak democratic credentials, and susceptibility to partisan and parochial or commercial misappropriation, which robbed the country of people’s trust.

Also, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Prof. Attahiru Jega, observed that poor economy and unemployment are serious contributory factors.

ASUU stated this, yesterday, at a public lecture entitled ‘Exploring Radical Remedies for the Root of Pervasive Insecurity in Contemporary Nigeria’ at UNIJOS by ASUU’s trustee and former chairman, Professor Asisi Asobie.

The Federal Government’s relegation of Nigerian universities to the background, which resulted in persistent strikes by lecturers, has made the citadel of learning unable to embark on necessary research to combat insecurity in the country, Asobie said.

“Further, Nigeria has yet to earn the monopoly of the legitimacy of the possession, control and use of the instruments of coercion in the society. It lacks relative autonomy; its dominant class, an alliance of indigenous middlemen or communication agents, foreign merchants and speculative investors, is not independent of social groups, their parochial interests and criminal activities. It is, therefore, unable to enforce the law of the land against criminality.

“Also, Nigeria operates a casino capitalist economy embedded in a globalised capitalist system.

It, therefore, partakes of certain features of this contemporary globalisation, which makes it promotional of criminality and insecurity.”

Jega, represented by former National Chairman of ASUU, Prof. Nasir Fagge, said the union would continue to press for the improvement of living conditions in Nigeria, especially among youths.

He noted that UNIJOS ASUU is leading the crusade for positive change in terms of employment.

Also, Vice-Chancellor of UNIJOS, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, described the funding model for higher education in the country as completely flawed, and cannot take the country far. He commended the former leaders of the union that fought hard to achieve the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The VC assured ASUU of the university’s commitment to the enabling environment to advance their welfare.

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