The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ambrose Ali University, Edo State, chapter, Mr. Monday Igbafen, has blamed the problems confronting the nation’s education sector on lack of commitment on the part of the government.
Igbafen argued that it was only when the government showed serious commitment towards revamping education that the sector could be improved.
The AAU ASUU chairman said this in chat with our correspondent against the backdrop of the lingering crisis between the various academic and non-academic unions in the nation’s universities and the government.
He noted that the provision of adequate funding would go a long way in addressing the multifarious problems that had been plaguing the nation’s education sector for ages.
Igbafen said, “We all know the problems of the education sector and for us to solve it, we have to look at it critically and the solution is common-place. The simple thing is all about government’s commitment to it; that is just the truth. It is government’s lack of commitment to education that is really the problem, but it is not beyond redemption.
“If the government decides to rehabilitate education in this country with all the commitment and political will, it can be done within a few years. And you can do that by massively getting involved in the area of funding. “
The university lecturer added that the crisis in the tertiary level of education was a clear indication that the government had neglected the sector, stressing that the entire allocation of funds from the government on a yearly basis, when compared with that of the other countries of the world, including some African countries, was abysmally low.
“This is an indication that the government is not interested in trying to bring back the good days we had in that sector. The wake-up call is to continue to pressure government; let us pray for a kind of radical leadership that will come up and take education very seriously,” he said.
Igbafen further argued that since education remained the bedrock of development, any society interested in genuine progress and transformation in all ramifications must concentrate on taking decisions that would continuously improve the education sector.
“But what do we have in Nigeria, for instance? We are paying lip service to it. Instead, our leaders know that they are not doing well in that sector; so they are sending their children abroad and promoting the establishment of private universities and, of course, private-sector participation. It is basically wrong” the AAU ASUU boss said
