Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has lashed out at the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan for asking protesting students not to use their protest to disrupt political activities.
Describing the statement as the height of Insensitivity, the Chairman ASUU, University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Akinwole stated that Ahmed Lawan represents the class of political vipers who are bent on destroying the future of the children of the masses in order to access the resources of Nigeria.
As a presidential aspirant under his party, Akinwole stated that the Senate President has not even shown the capacity to solve problems by not knowing the importance of education over political activities.
Akinwole stated that the Union had lobbied the National Assembly to prevent the strike but the Legislative chamber were not forthcoming, forcing the Union to take the fate of her members in its hands.
The ASUU Chairman stated that it was inconceivable for a high ranking Political office holder to prioritise political activities over education saying the consequences in their inactions has caused the country to toe the path of retrogression.
ASUU started its strike action on February 14, 2022 to obtain new conditions of service, funding for public universities, deployment of University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), among others.
Akinwole stated that those in political offices are non-challant because, for most of them, their children school abroad.
While urging Nigerian students to own their struggle and take over their destiny, Professor Akinwole stated that the best way to destroy a country is by destroying education, which is what the ruling class, including the senate president, is pursuing with ferocious vigour.
“It is inconceivable for a Senate President to see political activities as more important than having students back to learn and develop the society. The Union, ASUU, informed, lobbied and appealed to the Senate to avert the strike but they were not forthcoming. We see a house loyal to the ruling political elites and not to Nigeria. To this set of politicians, anything can suffer but their access to common treasury. That is a sign of irresponsibility. Has their own welfare issues not been taken care of? I salute the resolve of the Nigerian students to fight for their own right. Education is a right and not a privilege. The youth, Nigerian students have an inalienable right be concerned and take actions they considered appropriate to secure their future”, he stated.
