[FG holds crucial talks with ASUU today -Releases N100bn to Suswam-led committee] ************************************ THE Federal Government will engage the leadership of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a crucial talks today, in a move to end the ongoing strike by the union. Minister of Education, Professor Ruqa’yyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, made this known in Abuja, on Monday, saying reasonable progress had been made in the ongoing efforts to get the lecturers back to classroom. She noted that a presidential intervention of N100 billion had been released to the implementation committee of the Needs Assessment Report, which has the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, as chairman. Professor Rufa’i, who spoke while declaring open the mid-term review of the four-year strategy plan for the development of the education sector, said this was to address some of the identifiable challenges in the nation’s university system. She said it was as a result of the resolve to address all challenges facing the sector that assessments of each area of the education sector were carried out. “We have done this for the federal unity schools and it is helping in their transformation. The recent one carried out for all public universities has led to a presidential intervention to ensure that challenges identified are given due attention. “As a result, N100 billion has been committed to this and the president has inaugurated an implementation committee chaired by Governor Suswam,” she said. The minister said the implementation of the four-year strategic plan (2011-2015) was on course, stressing that credible progress had been made in the six focal areas as outlined in the plan. She reaffirmed the commitment to move the sector ahead, saying “we shall continue to dig deep and identify further challenges and address them.” Professor Rufa’i, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to continue to show understanding, support and partnership, noting that “our actions today will define where we are tomorrow.” She added that government would continue to dialogue with ASUU in order to end the ongoing strike that had crippled academic activities in government’s universities in Nigeria. NANS, ASUU divided over strike Tunde Ogunesan THE leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is now divided over the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The students’ union president, University of Ibadan, Babatunde Badmus, gave the indication on Monday, while featuring on a television programme in Ibadan. Badmus, who claimed that the leadership of NANS, led by Yinka Gbadebo, had failed Nigerian students, alleged that the leadership of NANS jettisoned the interest of Nigerian students by using the strike to make money. “We, young and vibrant, energetic and student-minded students’ union presidents in majority of Nigerian iniversities are not going along with the NANS leadership in this struggle. NANS ought to be a body that should fight for the rights and privileges of students and ensure that we have good educational system alongside the ASUU and other student bodies. “But, a situation whereby you have a NANS leadership touring offices to collect money for their selfish interest and later go and address the press, telling them lies that what ASUU is doing is wrong is totally unacceptable. ASUU is fighting for a very good education in the country. If we don’t have a befitting education in the country, how will our future be secured? NANS president is on his own. And that is a forum students’ union presidents have been going around campuses to sensitise students about the true position and how the strike will give better education,” he said. Badmus hinted that the student body has uncovered plans by the Federal Government to kill public education, so as to deny children of pepper sellers and okada riders education. “We are ready to fight for our rights..." ************************************* THE S.P.C EKSU ©2013
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 04:21:38 +0000
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