ASUU Will Never Encourage Increment School Fees-Prof. Osodeke.

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke has said that only genuine increment in budgets for education between 20 and 26 per cent by the federal government as recommended by the United Nations will be the solution to the current Deadlock of university system in Nigeria.

Speaking on if the union will consider the introduction of school fees as a resolve since all financial demands by the union are not meant? but he argued increasing school fees would not solve the current challenges faced by the ASUU, while Nigeria’s resources are being misused by the government, while education is being made a top priority in other countries.

Prof. Osodeke also pointed out that, the minimum wage for Nigerians is only N30,000. so if Universities start to charge N200,000 to N300,000 how will a parent earning N30,000 pay for two children? Note that education is a right, not a privilege, so the union can never go for such a ridiculous option and the government can sack us all if they want to.

However once the government makes up its mind to prioritize education over other things like other countries do by increasing the percentage, then it will fund it. That’s all.  

We are all aware that sometime ago, President Muhammadu Buhari made a promise during a conference abroad where he said that in 2022 he would increase the education budget by 50 per cent, a year later, he said he would increase it by 100 per cent. We all watched him make that promise.  

So, what happened this year; instead of increasing it as promised he reduced it. These are the issues.

Source: Dailytrust