Two coffins wrapped up in banners branded PDP and APC were carried along in a rally in Lagos yesterday by some Nigerian youths pressing home their frustration over the ASUU strike that has paralyzed Nigeria’s universities for over two months.Declan Ihekaire, the leader of the rally, explained the students resorted to this symbolism to blame and warn the two major political parties in the country over their roles in thenation’s tertiary education impasse.
According to the youths, President Goodluck Jonathan accessed public education as a “shoeless” child, but makes it rather difficult for others to access.
And Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola of the APC was fingered for jacking up tuition fees in Lagos State University such that the institution becomes inaccessible to average Lagosians.
“Whereas, Fashola enjoyed free education when he studied in Uniben”, said the youths, describing him as a self-centered governor serving the interests of some imperialists.
The demonstrators served a seven-day ultimatum to both parties, asking the PDP to prevail on Jonathan to meet ASUU demands and re-open the universities, and that Fashola should reconsider the LASU policy – or else they will “take other actions”.
The ASUU and federal government got to this sticking point, after the 2012 three-month strike, over the rupturing of the 2009 agreement between the union and the government.
The pact, which ASUU claimed the federal government signed, demands, among other things, funding for revitalization of the Nigerian universities, federal government assistance to state universities, and establishment of NUPEMCO.
Others include: increase in annual budgetary allocation to education to 26 percent between 2009 and 2020; earned allowances; and setting up of Research Development Council; and Provision of research equipment to laboratories and classrooms in our universities.
Nigeria currently commits less than 10 per cent of its annual budget to education.
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