ASUU also noted that the situation is not limited to the tertiary institutions, saying primary and secondary schools are also affected
By Kehinde Okeowo
The chairman of the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Ayo Akinwole has said qualified young graduates in the country are reluctant to take up lecturing jobs at the universities because of poor condition of service.
He made this known recently while delivering his New Year message.
The union leader went on to say the situation is not limited to the tertiary institution alone, saying primary and secondary schools are also affected.
He said, “Teachers are not well-paid, leading to the reluctance of qualified teachers to take up employment in public primary and secondary schools, paving the way for the untrained and unqualified teachers to hold sway”.
He further stated these anomalies led to the establishment of private schools which are beyond the reach of poor Nigerians.
“The result of this has been the proliferation of private schools, most of which are out of the reach of the poor due to the exorbitant fees they charge.” Adewole added.
He noted that the university system witnessed stagnation in 2024, saying it would have been thrown into another industrial crisis, if the lecturers had not made significant sacrifices to save the day.
The ASUU leader said Nigeria’s education would likely remain the same because it was allocated about seven per cent (N3.52 trillion) in this year’s budget (N47.90 trillion).
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According to him, this “falls far below the benchmark of 15 per cent to 20 per cent educational budget for underdeveloped countries, like Nigeria, specified by both UNESCO and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), which has been advocated by our union”.
Praising the Federal Government for setting up a committee to renegotiate the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, Akinwole warned against delayed tactics, like the previous administrations demonstrated.
He said: “To be sure, since 2017, various committees had been put in place by the government to renegotiate the agreement with ASUU.
“For instance, the Babalakin-led Joint Renegotiation Committee was set up, followed by Emeritus Professor Munzali Jubril-led Committee, and followed by the late Prof. Nimi Briggs-led Committee, which yielded a draft agreement between the committee and ASUU in 2021.
“Unfortunately, the (Muhammadu) Buhari administration refused to sign the agreement reached upon by a committee set up by it. It is, therefore, our opinion that instead of a fresh renegotiation of the agreement, the Tinubu-led administration should rather set in motion a process that will lead to the review and signing of the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement as a mark of goodwill and assured hope for Nigeria’s public universities.”
