Adamu jets out, despite Buhari’s mandate to resolve strike
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Education Minister Adamu Adamu, whom President Muhammadu Buhari mandated to lead talks on the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has reportedly jetted out of Nigeria without meaningful offers to resolve the stalemate.
A source close to Adamu, who did not want his named mentioned because of the sensitive nature of the matter, confirmed the junket and told The PUNCH Adamu is expected back on 2 September.
ASUU plans to declare an indefinite strike on 29 August, backed by its branches in federal and state universities, to escalate an industrial action that began on 14 February after Buhari failed to heed its warnings.
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ASUU rejects N10,000 parents’ levy suggestion
ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke has turned down suggestion by the National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) that parents of higher institution students be levied N10,000 each per session to fund tertiary education.
Instead, he said, the best solution is for parents to join ASUU to mount pressure on the federal government to prioritise education by putting enough money into it to thrive, as done in other countries, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“We are proposing a sum of N10,000 per parent every session that will be directly paid to the universities.
“That will be our own contribution, apart from other statutory payments, to making more funds available to the universities,” NAPTAN Public Relations Officer Ademola Ekundayo had canvassed.
But Osodeke argued on Arise TV that parents can intervene more effectively by simply putting pressure on Abuja to judiciously spend tax payers’ money.
“I think what this association should be doing is to tell the government to perform its functions. They should put pressure on the government to use Nigerians’ money to fund education as it is done in other countries,” he said.
“They should add to the pressure coming from ASUU to ensure that the government prioritises education. That is more significant than the N10,000.”
