The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disclosed that it had begun a nationwide sensitisation as its intervention in the war against the rampaging coronavirus (COVID-19).
This is despite the non-payment of its members’ salaries and allowances by the federal government.
ASUU embarked on an indefinite strike last week over the development following a warning strike where parlies with government to resolve the payment controversy failed to yield positive results.
The president of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi, stated this on Tuesday during the flag-off of the union’s intervention on the fight against coronavirus disease at the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State.
In his statement, Ogunyemi said access to correct information, adequate education and meaningful communication by Nigerians are potent solutions to the scourge.
He, however, noted that the rot in the nation’s education sector is a foundational problem with the country’s health sector, and accused the federal government of not factoring education as a tool to effect the country’s much anticipated change.
“We cannot confront the challenge by bemoaning our fate. What is expected is that we join forces to do what China and other well-organised societies have done to “flatten the curve. ASUU acknowledges that public information, education and communication (IEC) is key to success, backed up with access to health facilities and basic medicaments. It is for this reason that we are flagging off our entry into the intervention networks through ASUU-UI today. In doing so, we hope our token efforts would produce the desired result in awareness creation for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Oyo State and Nigeria.
From the UI, ASUU members marched around major health facilities to distribute personal protective equipment such as sanitisers, and leaflets interpreted in different Nigerian languages.
According to the UI branch chairman of ASUU, Ayoola Akinwole, the union mobilised its members across various departments to make input in the items produced and distributed within and around the city of Ibadan.
Mr Akinwole said the value of the items distributed could not be quantified, adding that the members’ skills and professionalism invested in the efforts are products of collaboration.
In his words, “What we have done today was to distribute sensitisation materials including posters, jingles and protective facilities for our health workers.
“For two months now, government has refused to pay our members’ salaries, allowances and deductions but we cannot be discouraged in our quest to reposition the country’s education for better.”
The ASUU president added that the sensitisation train moves to the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State on Wednesday and to other zones of ASUU.
“I can assure you that we will not be discouraged. The train moves to UNIJOS on Wednesday and the next may be our chapter at the University of Maiduguiri, Borno State. Any of the chapter I cannot attend will be graced by the zonal leaders,” Mr Ogunyemi said.
He urged the federal government to see reason in the union’s advocacy for better education sector, adding that it is the enduring solution to Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges.
“For us in ASUU, this is not an occasion for blame game or buck passing. However, it calls for sober reflection on what we need to do differently with our health and education. We talk of our health because that holds the key to our wealth, and our education because, without it, we are going nowhere in the advancement ladder among comity of civilised nations.
“With qualitative and accessible university education, we can guarantee a storehouse of knowledge in scientists, doctors, nurses, laboratory technologists and other medical and paramedical personnel for coping with a global pandemic of the magnitude of the COVID-19. But it appears our universities have no place in the current efforts of government…”
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