‘If you can bail out Nollywood, you can fund Universities’ – ASUU advises FG

The Chairman of ASUU at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Adegbola Akinola has advised President Jonathan to stop begging for the strike to be called off and instead honour the 2009 agreement reached with the Union.

Akinola spoke to journalists at a rally in Ile-Ife on Monday.

He said, “ASUU does not need any plea from Mr. President. We are not asking for impossible things. The Federal Government reached an agreement with us and we are asking them to honour it. It is so simple.

“Government should be honourable. Is it honourable not to honour an agreement? Certainly no. The Federal Government should not allow the public universities to continue to degenerate. Posterity will not forgive us if we allow public universities to totally collapse.

“Our country has the resources to honour the agreement but education is not given priority.

“The Minister of Aviation (Mrs Stella Oduah)  just  got  two bulletproof cars  bought for N255m by an agency under her supervision. So,  who do you want to tell that this  country does not have the resources?

“We won’t allow public universities to be destroyed. That is why they are establishing private  universities all over the country with the nation’s money. Except those owned by the  missionaries, tell me which of the private universities was not established with the nation’s resources?”

Also speaking on the strike impasse, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Ibadan chapter, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, said they were tired of appeals and wanted action.

He  said, “Will the President be quiet if his children are in one of our public institutions and be at home for four months? Does he care about the future of the country while the children of the masses in public institutions have been asking their leader to be more sensitive and patriotic enough to public institutions?

“How many years of appeal will make the President implement a four-year-old agreement? The truth is that  we are tired of appeals. We need action .

“In ASUU, our belief is that today’s event will shape the future. We cannot live on appeal while the  children of the rich use public funds to study abroad and even make use of government scholarship scheme.”

hairman ASUU, UNICAL branch, Dr. James Okpiliya, said, “Our union is law- abiding. We wrote to the police and other security agencies on our intention of walking the streets in pursuance of our cause to put the records straight.

“Many groups have been walking the streets giving people the wrong impression about the situation. We just want to put the records straight. The police are telling us that they have orders from above not let us walk the streets of Calabar. It is a shame. You can all see the hypocrisy of government.

“They allowed youths and market women but they would not let us   do the same. We would remain resolute. No amount of provocation would stop us.

“We are not on strike because of our salaries. We are fighting for our students and the terrible conditions of our universities. Most of our science students do not know the difference between a Bunsen burner and a stove. They don’t even know the chemicals.

“The Tertiary Education Trust Fund today has become a main funding source of our universities, but this is not to be so. TETFUND is only an intervention agency. Government has bailed out banks and even Nollywood, but not our universities.

“The strike would continue as long as the government remains adamant. The President said after all, the strike in Ghana lasted two years; so that means this one could  continue even up to five years.”