Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, said all hands must be on deck to ensure academic strikes in universities become a thing of the past.
The Speaker made the comment in a statement welcoming the end of an eight-month long strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
” That the ASUU strike has been suspended makes me happy but we must not rest on our oars.
” Instead, let this be a call to action for the government, universities, unions, and citizens to begin the critical conversation about the future of public tertiary education in the country.
” I assure you that this is an objective the House of Representatives will pursue with dedication and determination.
The academics had demanded better welfare and revitalisation of public universities, among other demands.
While thanking the Federal Government and the ASUU leadership for finding a way to end the strike, Gbajabiamila said it is time to “admit certain harsh truths and take radical action.”
He regretted that the strike lasted for eight months and noted that it should never have happened in the first place.
“Our public universities should be citadels of learning and innovation, where young people discover themselves and reach for the stars,” he said.
Mr Gbajabiamila called on the government, universities, unions, and citizens “to begin the critical conversation about the future of public tertiary education in the country.”
While all of ASUU’s demands have not been met, the Federal Government has made concessions.
In his budget presentation speech last week, President Muhammadu Buhari said a total of N470 billion has been earmarked in the 2023 budget for revitalisation and salary enhancements in the nation’s tertiary institutions, addressing some of ASUU’s main demands.
But the President also noted that government alone cannot continue to provide the resources required for funding tertiary education.
“In most countries, the cost of education is jointly shared between the government and the people, especially at the tertiary level,” the President said.
“It is imperative therefore that we introduce a more sustainable model of funding tertiary education.”
