A Nasarawa State-based NGO, Centre for Educational Empowerment and Orientation (CEEO), Nigeria, has appealed to the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the strike through negotiation.
Mr Oyebisi Davidcrown, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akwanga on Tuesday.
He said that strike by ASUU, especially a prolonged one, had had adverse consequence on the country’s education sector.
According to him, dialogue remains the only solution to the impasse in the dispute between the government and university lectures.
“No conflict can be resolved without dialogue, hence, the need for the Federal Government and the ASUU to understand with each other.
“There are many implications associated with any strike and industrial action causes more harm than good.
It affects the education sector, the lives of people and the socio-economic development of the country negatively.
“In the educational sector, I don’t subscribe to strikes because of its negative effects on the lives of our students and the society at large.
Davidcrown described the ASUU strike action as unfortunate in view of the length of time the dispute had being without resolution.
He advised students affected by the strike to use the period to read their books in order not to lose track of their learning process and to excel in their academic pursuits.
The NGO boss further urged the students and other youths to be law-abiding, respect constituted authority, shun negative tendencies and tolerate one another, irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.
The chief executive officer said that the NGO was established to ensure a boost to the educational advancement of the country through formulation of good educational policies and execution of programmes.
Davidcrown said that the NGO also trained teachers to improve on the quality of education in the country.
NAN recalls that on Aug.14, ASUU declared a nationwide strike after a consultation to press home its demands.
The ASUU demands bordered on the 2009 agreement and 2013 MOU relating to the funding and the revitalisation of public universities and academic allowances of its members.
“Others include registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), University staff school among others.