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ASUU advises FG on reforms
TOM MOSES, Calabar
THE Federal
Government has been advised to urgently review the on-going economic reforms
programme as it is becoming increasingly difficult for Nigerians to cope.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),
Calabar zone gave the advice in a communique of its meeting where they reviewed
the political and economic situations in the country as well as problems
confronting the Nigerian University system.
A five-point communique signed by the
zonal coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Offiong E. Offiong and chairmen of other branches
within the zone urged the Federal Government to subsidize mass transit system as
the case in other parts of the world.
"The down-stream petroleum industry is
deregulated in virtually all the capitalist regimes in the world but in all
these countries, there is none that does not have a heavily subsizided mass
transit system. These governments do not leave the fate of their citizens to the
mythical market forces" Dr. Offiong stated.
Offiong, therefore, advised, President
Olusegun Obasanjo, to act fast to avoid a socio-political collapse as more
Nigerians are really suffering because of the bitting effect of deregulation of
the down-stream petroleum sub-sector.
He also raised alarm on the sacking and
harassment of union activists in various campuses, witch-hunting, intimidation
and outright termination of their appointments by some vice-chancellors.
To this end, the ASUU, Calabar zone,
demanded the authorities of University of Uyo (UNIUYO) to unconditionally recall
the branch chairman of UNIUYO who was illegally sacked in violation of the
principle of due process.
ASUU viewed with concern, the increasing
commercialisation of university education through rapid increases in tuition
fees and exorbitant charges on local accommodation and so called on government
to use the excess from crude oil to ensure better funding of education in the
country, even as it observed that the effect of the salaries increase for public
servants in 2000 has heralded hyper-inflation and unending increases in
petroleum products prices.
The zone, expressed, concern over what it
described as the "lackadaisical attitude of government towards ensuring a
lasting peace in the university system through its manipulative handling of the
Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) award against ASUU."
It called on both the federal and state
governments to take advantage of the FGN-ASUU agreement of 2001 as well as of
2003 as a basis for the proper funding of universities.
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