The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Calabar Zone, has strongly objected to the Federal Government’s proposed Student Education Loan, labeling it as oppressive and potentially leading to dire consequences for students.
ASUU described the loan as not only “strangulating” but also capable of enslaving students, burdening them with perpetual debt, causing depression, and even leading to suicide.
During a press conference held in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Happiness Uduk, accompanied by all Chapter Chairmen of the zone, expressed dismay that individuals who had once benefited from scholarships, meal subsidies, and bursary awards were now formulating such detrimental policies. The union vowed to vehemently oppose any such measures.
Uduk, in a statement jointly signed by the eight union Chairpersons, argued that rather than providing loans for students’ education, the Federal Government should allocate funds for interventions in higher institutions.
This, according to ASUU, would result in positive changes that could lead to self-reliant institutions offering highly subsidized tertiary education across the country.
According to her, “It is disheartening that people who attended schools on scholarship,enjoyed meal subsidies, free laundry services and bursary awards are the same running our economy today. Their Children are on scholarship in the best foreign universities in the world but after siphoning our economy, they turn around to impose a strangulating Education Loan in tax payers’ children so that they will be enslaved and remain indebted to the country forever.
“They do not mind the devastating effect of this scheme on the country, such as depression, suicide, and collosal loss of intellectuals.
“To this end, we vehemently condemn the idea of Education Loan and state clearly that using the money for intervention in higher Institutions will be about a positive turn-around of events that will make our institutions self reliant on highly subsidized tertiary education in Nigeria.”
The union urged the federal government to engage in renegotiations and reconvene a committee to reassess the agreement made between ASUU leadership and the Government committee led by Prof. Nimi Brigs.
The aim is to adjust the agreement to reflect current economic conditions and establish a salary structure for university lecturers that is deemed acceptable.
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Additionally, the union criticized the indiscriminate proliferation of universities in Nigeria without sufficient funding from both the Federal and state governments.
They highlighted the importance of implementing the 2020 ASUU-FGN Memorandum of Action (MoA), which emphasized the necessity of reviewing the NUC Act to effectively control the haphazard and excessive establishment of universities.
“We urge Tinubu-led administration to refrain from further proliferation of universities and rather consolidate on the already existing ones. What we need are universities that are adequately equipped and empowered to address the challenges confronting Nigeria, not glorified schools,” the statement added.
In ongoing minimum wage negotiations, ASUU Calabar Zone urged the Federal Government to swiftly utilize collective bargaining to finalize the social dialogue. They emphasized that this approach would mitigate the intrusive decline in the socio-economic well-being of Nigerians.
Furthermore, the union called upon federal, state, and local governments to critically assess all unfeasible policies and programs sponsored by international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF. Their aim is to reclaim the nation’s sovereignty and restore the confidence of Nigerians.
However, the union advised governments and their agencies to adhere to the Act establishing universities and refrain from meddling with the autonomy of universities, particularly regarding policy, academic planning, and administration.
They also recommended the immediate recall of suspended members at Ebonyi State University in compliance with the declarations and orders of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
Additionally, the union stressed the importance of promptly paying outstanding salaries to academics in all institutions.
They warned that failure to meet their demands would result in industrial action, expressing regret that resorting to strikes was necessary to communicate effectively with the government.
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