The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise university education to boost research and academic excellence in the nation’s ivory towers.

The Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI), branch of ASUU made the appeal in an address delivered during a press conference on the campus on Wednesday at Ikwo local government area in Ebonyi.

The union had earlier embarked on a peaceful march that commenced on the university campus and terminated at the entrance gate of the institution to draw awareness of its demand for a better welfare and funding of university education in Nigeria.

The address signed by Dr Louis Omenyi and Dr Joseph Chukwu, the branch chairman and secretary respectively, lamented the poor state of infrastructure, welfare of lecturers and other anomalies in the system.

According to the unionists, the perceived rot in the public owned universities need urgent action so as to stem brain drain and incessant strike actions that had bedevilled the university education.

The union rejected what it termed, illegalities, underfunding, disrespect and flagrant violation of university autonomy and academic freedom by governments at all levels.

It also decried the federal government’s failure to honour the agreement it reached with the national body.

“All these anomalies have occasioned the massive exodus of some of our best brains through the phenomenon that has become popularly known as ‘Japa’ syndrome.

“The few of us left behind will not let our generation down because the struggles of our irrepressible union are our historic responsibility to secure the heart and soul of the university system where intellectualism, research, innovation and development are nurtured and delivered.

“The baton is in our hands today and we cannot let down our heroes past by allowing people who benefited from free and subsidised education to destroy our national heritage and educational system,” ASUU said.

ASUU which reaffirmed its commitment to industrial peace and harmony noted that it remained and committed to placing quality education of all Nigerians in its rightful place.

“We are here to reaffirm that we are committed to ensuring qualitative and affordable higher education for all Nigerians and nothing will make us renege from this sacred responsibility,” it added.

The union frowned at the government’s insensitivity to the plight of the university lecturers and lack of commitment to implementing agreements entered with the union and the infrastructural decays.

It therefore called on relevant authorities to do the needful to avert another looming crisis that could lead to further devaluation of standards in the university education.

“We are also making a clarion call to all Nigerians to join hands with ASUU to salvage the Nigerian university system from total collapse.

“We are also using this medium to warn that the ritual of ASUU’s preparation for another round of strike has just begun.

“Arising from the texts of press conferences after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held recently at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the cloud is gathering for a show down if the needful is not done very quickly.

“You will recall that ASUU has reached an agreement with the government in 2009, which is supposed to be reviewed three years later; for 15 years now, that agreement has not been wholly implemented, let alone reviewed.

“As a consequence, lecturers in public universities have remained stuck with the same poor condition of service,” the union said.

ASUU called on the government to urgently set up a committee to review the agreement reached by its leadership and Prof. Nimi Brigs-led Government committee to further look at the document, adjust it according to the current economic realities.

The union condemned the government’s sustained use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform saying that the system usurped the powers of the university councils.

The group rejected continued withholding of three and half months salaries of members, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and promotion arrears among other alleged injustices.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says poor infrastructure and inadequate funding of public universities by the Federal Government were responsible for the incessant strikes by lecturers.

Chairperson of the University of Jos chapter of the union, Dr. Jurbe Molwus, said this during a town hall it organised on Thursday in Jos.

He added that the failure of the federal government to honour agreements it reached with the union over the years had contributed to the industrial disharmony between the lecturers and government.

“As a union, we are very reluctant about going on strike; we find it very painful anytime our members resolve to embark on industrial action.

“But the failure of the government to honour agreements it reached with the union is largely behind recurrent strikes.

“ASUU has entered a series of agreements with the government but all of them ended as promissory notes.

“Most of our public universities are now an eyesore; no basic infrastructure like lecture halls, equipped laboratories, among others, and this because successive governments refused to properly fund education,” he lamented.

On the rationale for the town hall, Molwus said that it would provide an opportunity for the union and members of the public to interact on the challenges currently facing public universities in Nigeria.

“This meeting will give us the opportunity to discuss with Nigerians from all walks of life and fashion best ways of tackling the current challenges confronting university education in Nigeria.

“We have called you here to tell you our side of the story as a union and to hear from you how best we can collectively move our education system out of its current quagmire,” he said.

Speaking at the event, retired Prof. Sylvester Alubo, called on the federal government to grant full autonomy to public universities, insisting that such a move would enable optimal productivity in the institutions.

“Granting full autonomy to the universities will solve a lot of challenges confronting our educational system.

“This is the practice in other climes; the government doesn’t interfere in the running of universities,” he said.

Alubo, who decried the proliferation of universities in the country, also called on the federal government to urgently address the situation.

The retired professor added that poor remuneration of university lecturers was responsible for the increasing ‘Japa’ syndrome among lecturers.

He called on the government to review the salary structure of the lecturers to reflect global standards and current economic realities in the country.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya,  commended the union for organising the town hall.

The Vice Chancellor also called on the federal government to address all demands of ASUU, insisting that the demands were critical toward having functional and productive universities in the country.

The town hall had parents, students, market and transport unions, security agencies, government officials, among other critical stakeholders in attendance.

The Permanent Secretary (PS), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Oluwatosin Oloko has explained how the introduction of technological innovation by the present administration in Ogun State has brought unprecedented transformation into the educational system.

The Perm. Sec. stated this while monitoring the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Abeokuta axis of the state, highlighted the innovation to include, Optical Memory Recorder (OMR) sheet, online applications for examinations, among others, through Ogun State Education Revitalisation Agenda (OGSERA), noting that the initiative had improved teaching and learning.

Accompanied by the Director of Education, Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Mr. Oluwole Majekodunmi, Oloko explained that conducting examinations, transfer process into public primary and secondary schools, as well as other activities were flawless since adopting the new process, adding that Governor Dapo Abiodun’s huge investment in education was now yielding great achievement.

“Everything is seamless; we want to give kudos to our education-loving Governor for introducing technology aspects into the exercise,” she said.

In their separate remarks, Junior School Principals of Government Science and Technical College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Mr. Adejimi Adegboyega; St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Mrs. Deborah Salako and African Church Grammar School, Ita-Eko, Abeokuta, Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Adekeye, pointed out that the state is noted for high standard and appreciated government for using technology to sustain the legacy.

The examiners supervising African Church Grammar School, Mr. Olusoji Oliyide and that of Lisabi Grammar School, Mr. Tolulope Soneye, attested that, “the materials were enough, the conduct was smooth and the examination papers were intact, giving no room for malpractices.”