ASUU STRIKE UPDATE ASUU rejects FG promisory note; demands Okojie, NUC’s boss sack The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is insisting on the removal of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Secretary, Professor Julie Okojie, declaring he cannot absolve himself and the commission from the rot in Nigerian universities. The union also insisted on scrapping of the commission. NUC, according to ASUU, has failed to reposition Nigerian universities as shown by the NEEDS assessment report, which the union maintained, was carried out by genuine academics, pointing out that its (NEEDS) report contradicted NUC’s accreditation exercises, which gave ‘controversial’ clean bill of health to most universities through what it called ‘magomago accreditation.’ ASUU said in sane climes, the NUC boss ought to have resigned through the revelations made in the NEEDS assessment report. ASUU, in a statement, called on the National Assembly to beam its searchlight on activities of NUC. The union’s position, which was contained in a statement by its University of Ibadan Chairman, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, emphasised that its strike is fully on and will not allow itself to be fooled again with ‘promisory notes’ of the Federal Government, which it maintained, had never worked in the past. The statement, titled ‘Where Okojie got it Wrong’, said the NUC boss cannot absolve himself from the rot in the university system by regulating quantity, instead of ensuring quality delivery in the nation’s universities. Okojie had, last Thursday, reportedly absolved the commission of any accreditation fraud, blaming it on ASUU members. Ajiboye, who described the statement credited to the NUC boss as ‘careless’, accused Okojie of allegedly using his cronies, who can do his biddings for accreditation. According to Ajiboye, the success of 2011 elections was based on the patriotic zeal and contributions of genuine and patriotic ASUU leadership nationwide, adding that this was why the election was free of malpractices hitherto recorded in past elections. The union declared, “ASUU cannot be blamed for NUC ‘magomago’ accreditations. Rather than blaming the union, Okojie should take full responsibility for all the fraudulent deeds in NUC, including the work and eat accreditations. NUC knows the kind of academics they select for their ignoble exercises. “These are cronies of the big man in NUC. They can never say no to his biddings. Nigerians should be proud of ASUU in its efforts at repositioning public universities in the country. One of these major efforts is the NEEDS Assessment Document. This was a product of a rigorous academic exercise carried out by dependable and credible members of our union. Unlike the numerous faulty accreditation reports which had given these universities clean bill of health, the NEEDS Assessment Report stands out as a classical document of reference, detailing the rot and decay in public universities in Nigeria. “All well-meaning Nigerians can see the contrast between Okojie’s ‘packaged accreditation reports’ and a credible job done by ASUU. It has become very clear from the Needs Assessment that Okojie and his cohort of accreditors have fooled this country for too long. Enough they say is enough,” ASUU said.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 14:15:56 +0000
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