*President Muhammadu Buhari and religious leaders, again, have appealed to聽 the Academic Staff Union of Universities to halt the planned indefinite strike in the Nigerian education sector

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

In a move to prevent disruptive strikes, engender uninterrupted academic programmes, and improve funding of education institutions in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari recently pledged the Federal Government would honour promises made to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

绿帽献妻 had reported President Buhari made the promise Tuesday, February 1, 2022, when he received members of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), led by the Co-Chairs, Alhaji Sa鈥檃d Abubakar II, Sultan of Sokoto; and Rev. Samson Ayokunle, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The country鈥檚 academic union Friday, February 4, however, expressed doubts over the Federal Government鈥檚 ability to resolve the lingering crisis in the education sector, particularly the universities.

Muhammad Musa Bello, Honourable Minister for FCT

ASUU thus threatened that the Union might soon commence an indefinite strike, agency report said.

The President yet stated that no society which wished itself well by neglecting its educational system and all its component parts.

Buhari commended the leadership of NIREC for intervening in the year-long strike by ASUU and holding consultations with the parties.

Parents beg Minister, Council Chairmen to accede to NUT鈥檚 demands over strike

In a related development, several parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged the Honourable Minister for FCT, Area Council Chairmen, and the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to reach a workable agreement to enable their children resume school.

It was gathered that some of the affected parents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje, Gwagwalada, Abaji and Kwali Area Councils said the strike was having negative impact on their children and appealed for a speedy resolution.

For over two weeks, the primary school teachers have embarked on an indefinite strike over failure by the FCT鈥檚 Area Council Chairmen to reach agreements with the union.

Mr. Stephen Knabayi, State Chairman of the FCT Wing of the NUT, after a recent emergency executive council meeting at the Teachers House, in Gwagwalada, said the action would continue until their demands were met.

Knabayi stated that the academic union had observed with dismay the non-compliance by the Area Council Chairmen to abide by the agreement to pay the backlog of the Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers鈥� outstanding entitlements in their various councils.

He affirmed that the union had directed all primary school teachers in the territory to stay away from their duty posts, while parents were advised to keep their children and wards safe at home.

The NUT chief also noted the meetings fixed for January 13 and 21, 2022, both failed due to the refusal of the area council chairmen to meet with the NUT leaders.

The Executive Chairman FCT, Universal Basic Education Board, Alhassan Sule at a news conference recently, also said the Area Council Chairmen should be blamed for the strike.

The FCT administration had been doing its best for the teachers, in terms of salaries, arrears and welfare, but was surprised to see that the teachers were embarking on strike.

Mr. Sule also commended the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Candido, and its NUT branch, for reaching a workable written agreement, which led to the suspension of the strike in AMAC.

He also encouraged other Area Council Chairmen to reach an agreement with teachers and honour every pact signed with teachers, so that the strike could be suspended for pupils to resume classes.

Parents lament teachers鈥� strike

Naomi Bulus, a parent in Gwagwalada Area Council of FCT, said the strike had made her children 鈥渟hift focus to other things that was costing her additional funds that she did not budget for,鈥� agency report stated.

Mrs. Bulus also said: 鈥淥ne thing I have learnt is that after each episode of strike, the children are no more focused, even when they resume because they have been out for so long.鈥�

鈥淧arents who cannot engage their wards in extra lessons suffer distress and heartaches because of the nuisance the children constitute at home.鈥�

She noted: 鈥淢y only pain is that the people in government are not feeling it because their own children are not in public schools but abroad or in private schools.鈥�

Another parent in Abaji Area Council, Sani Usman, said their appeal was for government to listen to the masses.

Usman said: 鈥淚f the senators can have sitting and sleeping allowances, then the builders of these characters should be considered; they are the teachers.

鈥淭he Federal Government should listen to the demands of the striking union so that our children can go back to school.鈥�

Funmi Olusola, a parent in Kwali Area Council said her son was affected by the strike and pleaded that the FCT Minister and Chairmen 鈥渄iscuss the issues for the children to go back to school.鈥�

鈥淚 am seriously appealing to the relevant authorities, on behalf of parents to end the strike and make education a top priority and save the sector from imminent collapse.

鈥淭he Federal Government must at all costs, meet the demands of the union to save the future of our children,鈥� she said.

Abraham Gado, a parent in Kuje Area Council urged the government to make any sacrifice to improve the education sector and meet the union鈥檚 demands.

鈥淭hey should also consider the parents who suffer to pay school fees for our children and should know that an idle mind is the devil鈥檚 workshop.

鈥淓ducation must come first in all our plans and whatever it will take, the government should improve the welfare of the school teachers.鈥�

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